Remedy
by FantasticallyTragical
Summary: Sonya King was just a college student, on her way to becoming a psychiatrist, with big dreams, and the ability to feel other's pain. No biggie, right? AU where Pietro never died, Civil War never happened, but everyone's there anyway, living as a big, happy family.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One  
In Which We Meet Our Hero**

 _She felt the crash deep in her gut, felt the airbag explode in her face, the agony of her nose breaking and her arm snapping and her skull being crushed—_

Sonya King jerks up out of sound sleep, squinting in the red and blue lights flashing through her window, the sirens ringing in her ears. Three police cars. Two ambulances. Swinging her legs out of bed, she moves to the window and peers out. On the street, three stories below, a silver Honda Accord has crashed in to the telephone pole at the corner, its fender bent, hood crumpled up like a tin can. She can feel the agony of the driver. A man, middle-aged, drunk. A smashed nose, broken ribs, ruptured lungs, useless arm, skull smashed. He's dying.

Her suspicions are proven correct when the EMTs pull him out of the wreckage, scurrying around like ants, CPR, bandages, a defibrillator from the ambulance. Sonya can feel him fading. "He's gone." She whispers, shuddering at the sudden lack of feeling. The paramedics notice, too, heads bowing, one of them closes the man's eyes.

She falls back on her bed, feeling a swarm of irrational guilt. "Sorry." She whispers to her ceiling, knowing it wasn't her fault, knowing that there was nothing she could have done, but it still hurts. And it's not like it's anything NEW, feeling someone die, she's felt it all before, hell, she's in school to be a _doctor_ , but it still hurts.

' _Just relax.'_ She tells herself, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths.

* * *

Her alarm clock wakes her up at six with an extraordinarily rude blast of Fall Out Boy's _Phoenix_. She silences it with an equally rude punch in the off button, rolling out of bed like a zombie, trailing her way to the shower. The hot water wakes her up, and so does a hot coffee. She stands glaring at herself in the mirror, brushing her teeth vigorously, shaking purple-dyed hair out of her eyes, the result of a spontaneous idea, on her part. Oh, well, it's pretty, the purple.

"You're gonna be okay today." She tells her reflection, buttoning her blouse. "You can do this!" She declares, zipping her boots. "You're a big girl, now."

' _I'm a fucking idiot.'_ Sonya thinks, glaring in her wallet. She forgot her bus money. Again. It's gonna have to be the subway, today. She _hates_ the subway, hates the funky smells, the uneven lighting, the crush of people. The train's late, too. _'Isn't anxiety a lovely thing?'_ She thinks, trying to quell a racing heart and sweaty palms. _'Please don't let me have a panic attack.'_ Sonya isn't sure if it's a prayer or not, or if God's even listening, but it's worth a shot. Her week's been awful enough already. She focuses on her breathing.

An explosion rips the thoughts out of her mind and she's flying, landing with a thud. She sits up quickly, blinking spots out of her vision and trying to hear past the ringing in her ears. A masked person with a spooky skull/octopus thing embroidered on his shoulder is walking towards her, and there's a knife in they're hands. She throws up her hands, and the guy suddenly bounces back like he's hit a rubber mat. There's a purple bubble around Sonya. _'When did I learn to do this?'_ She wonders. The masked person is up on their feet again, but goes flying spectacularly when a streak of blue zooms past him. There's a different person standing in from of Sonya, now, shaking blondish-brown hair out of his eyes.

"How did you learn to do that?" He asks. He's got an accent, Russian maybe? She isn't sure.

"Hogwarts." She blurts out. The man grins.

"The magic school, yes? Very funny." He says it sarcastically, but his eyes are laughing. He doesn't seem to notice a second masked person emerge from the shadows, levelling a gun at his back. Sonya leaps forward and scoop her bubble around her new friend. He jumps in shock at the gunshot and they both whirl to see the person go flying from a red, white, and blue shield to the back of the head.

"Ah." The blond says. "Here is Steve."

Steve Rogers steps from the gloom, looking very heroic, an unconscious child in one arm. "Quicksilver." He says. "You're supposed to be getting the injured to safety, not flirting.

Quicksilver (THE Quicksilver) grins wider. "I was not flirting. I was making friends with-!" He turns just as Sonya falls to the ground, suddenly overwhelmed by the pain of all the injured around her. The pain of dozens of broken bones, of hundreds of bruises and cuts, and the inescapable fear of hundreds is assaulting her full force. She shudders as she feels a death quite close. Quicksilver is crouching in front of her, eyes concerned, lips moving, but she can hear him past the ringing in her ears, barely thinking past the pain, unable to function from the pain of hundreds pouring in to her mind. She's hyperventilating, shaking like a leaf, breaths coming quick and fast, there's blood on her lips and tears on her cheeks, and she's trying to focus on the man in front of her, but it's too much, too much! Oh, God, she wants to die, it hurts. It hurts so much! There's smoke in her nose and dust in her eyes, and her vision is just blackness, poked through with random pinholes of light, blinding and soothing all at once. She's screaming in her head. _'Make it go away! I want to go away! Make it stop! It hurts! I want to die! Please! Somebody! Anybody! Help me!"_ She can't move though, but she can feel arms beneath her knees and around her shoulders, and someone's carrying her, fast, and a voice beneath the ringing, quite close, is calling for someone named Wanda.

Reality fades out again and for a time there's nothing but pain, then there's a woman's voice, with Quicksilver's accent, saying something about pain, then the voice is in her head, and asking her what's wrong, and all she can do is scream, _'It hurts! It hurts! Make it stop! Please make it stop!'_

' _What hurts?' Says the voice. 'You need to tell me, so I can help you.'_

' _Everywhere! Everyone!'_ Then there's nothing.

* * *

"Who is she?" Pietro asks. The Maximoff twins are staring through the glass window at the girl, her dark skin and purple hair a riot of color against the whiteness of the hospital.

"Sofiya Elodie King." Natasha replies, looking at her StarkPad. "Goes by Sonya, Age 19, student at Cornell University, studying medical engineering. Never knew her parents, grew up in foster care her whole life. Suffers from an anxiety disorder, chronic depression, and is on the Autism Spectrum."

"She could feel everyone's pain." Wanda whispered. "I could feel it, too, when I was in her mind." She hugs her arms around herself, shuddering. "It… It was terrible. I can't imagine what that must be like, when you have no control over it. She can't make it stop." Her brother puts his arm around her.

' _She really can't stop it?'_ He thinks at her.

' _No. She can't. She could literally feel the pain and emotions of every single person caught in the explosion.'_

' _That's horrible. Was she experimented on… like… like us?'_

' _I'm not sure.'_

"What are we going to do with her?" Steve speaks up. "She doesn't really know anyone in the city, and she can't really stay on her own. I mean, the trauma of what she just went through…" He trails off.

"Plus, she can, like, make a force field." Pietro adds. "You saw, right?"

Steve nods. "Yeah. I saw."

"Good news!" Tony Stark comes bounding in to the waiting room. "I pulled a few strings, and arranged that if she wants, she can come to the Avenger's Tower and live with us." He beams around the circle, flashing a thumb's up.

"How did you manage that?" Steve wonders.

"Like I said, I pulled a few strings!" Tony answers.

"You exploited people, again?" Cap sighs.

"I'm offended you would even think that, Steven." Ironman sniffs haughtily. "It was all very legal."

"I'm still suspicious."

"He's telling the truth." Pepper Potts enters the room.

Tony pointed at her. "Yes. Thank you, Pepper."

"It turns out the girl applied for a position as a psychiatrist at SHIELD, and it all just sort of fell in to place. If she wants it, she can live at the Tower, and maybe eventually become an Avenger." Pepper glanced at the girl. "She just has to wake up, first…"

* * *

 **A/N: Aaaaand, DONE! I hope you guys like this, it's been on my mind of awhile!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two  
In Which There are Several Unexpected Visits**

Sonya wakes up with the worst headache she has ever had. It feels rather like a tiny, angry man is running around inside her head, whacking her skull with a disproportionately large hammer. "Fuck you, tiny angry man." She hisses.

"What?" Sonya whirls to see Steve Rogers giving her a rather concerned look. THE Steve Rogers, Captain fucking America, is in her hospital room. They blink at each other for a moment, then Sonya says.

"I swear I'm not crazy." She points at her head. "Headache. Feels like a tiny, angry man is trying to smash his way out of my skull."

"Oh."

"You're Captain America."

"Yes, I am."

"You hit a guy in a balaclava in the subway. Very harshly. With a shield."

"I hit several guys in balaclavas in the subway."

"When was that? Yesterday?"

"Yeah."

Sonya frowns. "Not to be rude, or anything, but… why are you in my hospital room? And how did I get here? And why were there balaclava clad people in the subway? What happened, exactly? It's all very hazy."

"They were members of Hydra, targeting New York. They set a bomb off in the Subway. The Avengers were deployed to bring them in. You were caught up in the attack, produced a force field of sorts, had a break down, and had to go to the hospital."

"Yeah, okay, I kind of remember that, but why are you in my hospital room?"

"We were concerned, and you have an ability we didn't think was possible. It's kind of my job."

"Your job is to sit in hospital rooms of broke college students?"

"No, my job is to make sure people like you… and me… are safe."

"Also hit people in balaclavas."

"Also hit people in balaclavas."

There's a silence. Then Steve speaks up again, handing her a small card. "You have a very unique ability, Sonya, we (the Avengers and I) were wondering if you would maybe accept some training from us, to be able to control your powers. This doesn't mean you have to abandon your life, though, and it's completely up to you, but maybe this will help you live a more normal life."

Sonya frowns. "I-I don't know. Can I have a moment alone? To think?"

"Sure, you don't have to answer right away… or even today… Just think about it." He turns to leave, before glancing back and saying, "Just so you know, all your medical bills have been paid by Stark Industries." He leaves with that bombshell. Sonya isn't sure if she wants to cry tears of relief, or scream at America's hero to get his star spangled ass back here an explain why Tony Stark wants to pay her medical bills. She doesn't do either, though, and just sort of stares at the wall in shock, then glances down at the card in her hand. It's small, has only a phone number on it, and _'Ask for Darcy. Say you're calling about the internship'_ scrawled on the back in blue Sharpie.

"Okay." She murmurs.

* * *

Sonya is released soon after her conversation with Captain America, and allowed to go home.

She falls on her bed, as soon as she reaches her apartment, her cat, Minerva, lying across her chest.

"At least _you_ don't have creepy-ass powers, kitty." She sighs, petting her. "Lucky."

There's a knock at her door and she groans while rolling to her feet, setting the cat down gently. She opens the door to see none other than Quicksilver. He grins brightly. She frowns severely.

"Hello!" He's lost the jogging sweater from the day before, wearing dark jeans and a Twenty-One Pilots t-shirt

"How the fuck did you find my apartment?"

"The nice lady downstairs. All I had to do was say I was a friend of yours." He shoulders past her in to the apartment, bending down and scooping up Minerva. Sonya is left holding the door, feeling rather invaded upon. "I like your cat." He calls from the tiny sitting room. "What's his name?"

"WHAT'S _YOUR_ NAME?!" She yells.

"Quicksilver."

"Your REAL name?"

"Pietro. Pietro Maximoff."

"Oh. Hi, I guess. I'm Sonya."

"I know."

"And _her_ name." She points to the smug looking cat, "is Minerva."

"Minerva? Like the Roman Goddess of War and Wisdom?"

Sonya shuffles slightly. "Uh… no. Minerva like Minerva Mcgonagall."

"You named your cat after a Harry Potter character?"

"Don't judge me. She turns in to a cat, her patronus is a cat. My cat's a… cat…"

"Makes sense."

"You're actually the first person to say that."

Pietro grins and hands Sonya the cat. "Well, I'll be off. Technically, I'm not supposed to be here, actually. I must leave immediately."

"Why aren't you supposed to be here?"

"Uh… something about civilian's deserve privacy and I can't go barging in to the apartment of a girl I met once…" He pauses, grinning, before climbing out the window. "I stopped listening when Steve started talking about honor, so I'm really not sure."

"You do realize we're three stories up, right?" She asks, a little concerned.

"Yes. Ah, a fire escape."

"What?"

"Bye!" He's off in a flash of blue and loud clattering from the steps. Sonya stares out the window, a little miffed. He wasn't even wearing blue...

"Bye."

* * *

Sonya wakes up the next morning to her alarm clock ringing furiously. She groans as she gets ready for work. She has a part time job at a local coffee shop. It's not much, but really compensates for what her scholarship and her only living relative (a grandfather she barely knows) aren't paying for. It's a quiet day at the shop, and a quiet day of classes, and when she gets home, there's a good book and a mug full of tea to help her relax.

There's a knocking at her door and she gets up from her nest of blankets with a grumble and lets Pietro in, because who else could it be?

He's standing there with his arm around a girl their age. "Hi!" He grins. "I brought my twin sister, Wanda."

Sonya smiles and beckons them in. "Nice to meet you, Wanda."

"You, too. I am sorry about my brother."

Sonya chuckles. "It's fine! I'm actually pretty glad to actually make friends with someone in the-!" She pauses, eyes widening. "Y-you were the voice in my head!"

The twins frown with confusion.

"At the subway. Two days ago! There was a voice in my head… Asking me where I was hurting." She explains. Comprehension dawns on Wanda's face, and she nods.

"Yes, that was me. I hope you are not upset."

Sonya shook her head vigorously. "Upset? No! You actually helped me! I don't know what you did, but the pain went away!" She frowned. "Or, well, it faded…"

"I was able to block it out." Wanda says, and tries to explain the schematics of her actions to her brother and the purple-haired girl. It doesn't really help, because about two sentences, the two look hopelessly confused.

"What?" Pietro wonders. "I have no idea what any of that means…"

"Don't worry, Pietro." Sonya assures him. "I have a full ride scholarship, I was valedictorian, I'm training to be a _psychiatrist_ , brains are my _thing_ … and I'm as lost as you."

The three bust out in laughter at that.

"So, what do you guys do, besides saving New York?" Sonya asks.

The twins shrug in unison. "Not much, really." Pietro says.

"The other Avengers are trying to introduce us to a lot of American culture… but mostly they just watch movies with us, and feed us hamburgers." Wanda explains. Sonya gasps.

"How horrid!" She cries melodramatically, dashing to her bedroom and beginning to rummage. She comes out a little later with a box of DVDs, her laptop, and her cat. She dumps Minerva onto Pietro's lap and plunks down between the twins and opens the laptop. "The only correct way to introduce anyone to America is through Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks." She declares. She pulls out a movie. "This is one of my favorites. It's also a classic."

Wanda peers at the case as Sonya puts the movie in. "Toy Story?"

Pietro peers around Sonya. "I haven't seen this one."

"You'll love it." She assures them. "Trust me."

* * *

After the movie, as the twins are leaving, Wanda and Sonya make plans to get coffee the next day. "Classes are over for the summer, anyway." Sonya says.

The two girls meet at a Dunkin' Donuts near Central Park. Wanda gets a plain black coffee, but Sonya gets a frappe with all the shots.

"Caffeine is literally the only thing that keeps me going." She explains at Wanda's raised eyebrow. The two of them settle down on a park bench.

"You said you have a full-ride scholarship?" Wanda asks. "What are you studying?"

"Yeah. To Cornell. I'm studying psychiatry. It's pretty cool."

Their chatting moves on to a little bit of everything, Sonya explaining some of her past and Wanda opening up about life with Earth's mightiest heroes.

"It's practically a hazard to even _look_ sad at the Tower." Wanda giggles, "Because Steve will show up at your bedroom door, wearing something cuddly and ask if you want to talk about it. And you really have no choice in the matter."

"Aw, dude." Sonya laughs. "I want to cuddle with Captain America! Wait, does he like, cuddle Thor, too?"

"Those two are the worst! They literally hug anyone within reach! One time I entered the kitchen to see Tony look very resigned to being aggressively cuddled by Thor. Pietro nearly died laughing!"

"I would give my right arm to see that." Sonya replies. She's about to open her mouth to ask a question, when Wanda lays a hand on her arm.

"Don't turn around." She says, "Act like you're still talking to me, but there is a guy watching us… He doesn't mean well."

Sonya's eyes widen, and she takes a shaky breath, then with the same inflections as if she was asking about the weather, says, "What do we do?"

"Lay low." Wanda replies. "I think they may just be normal thugs, but we can't be sure." She stands up, tossing her empty cup in a nearby trash can. "Come on."

As soon as they start walking, there is the sound of running feet behind them. The girls whirl in unison. The first guy had been joined by three others. Wanda throws out her hands to protect herself from the two going for her, her powers flaring out in a crimson ring, and Sonya brings her leg up and kicks one of them in the stomach.

It would've been pretty epic, if Sonya had not fallen on the ground, groaning and clutching her stomach. "This is why I don't get into fights." She says. WAnda rolls her eyes and takes charge

The guys leave in a hurry at the display of Wanda's powers, and the two of them make their separate ways home.

* * *

The girls' coffee outings become a daily thing, and Sonya begins to look forward to them. The prospect of hanging out with another girl her age is quite fun. It gets even more fun, when Wanda recruits the other women of the Avengers to come along, too. Soon, the group consists of Wanda, Sonya, Natasha Romanoff, and even Pepper Potts. They meet around nine every morning, guzzle their coffee and a pastry of choice, chat, then go their separate ways. They make quite an imposing picture strolling through the street of New York City, and no one really dares mess with them.

* * *

Things calm down, eventually, (well, as much as they can, when you hang out with Wanda Maximoff, Natasha Romanoff and Pepper Potts on a daily basis) so Sonya is understandably surprised when more of Earth's Mightiest Heroes start showing up at her apartment. The first to show up is Hawkeye, AKA Clint Barton. He waves sheepishly when Sonya opens the door and stares at him. "Hi."

"Uh... What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit my best friend's new friend." He says by way of explanation, pushing past her to let himself in. He plops a basket on the coffee table, and puts his hands on his hips, surveying the apartment. "Nice place you got here. Nat said you did, but I kind of wanted to see for myself."

Sonya purses her lips and shuts the door. "Come in, I guess." She mumbles.

"You can call me Clint." He says, plopping on the floor and rifling through her movie collection. "The basket has muffins."

"Cool."

"I brought them as an excuse. Baked 'em myself."

Sonya bites into one of the confections, nodding in approval. "Did you make them from scratch?"

"Yep."

* * *

The next Avenger to show up is Captain America. His excuse is checking on her well-being. Tony Stark's excuse is meeting the person he spent money on, just to make sure he didn't waste it. Thor doesn't even have an excuse. He just wants to meet her. Sonya is immediately endeared to him when she throws a pop-tart at him.

Despite the strangeness, Sonya enjoys telling Wanda and Pietro the stories. The twins get a kick out of it.

* * *

Sonya wrinkles her nose and wonders at the burning smell, only to round a corner and see her apartment building up in flames. She gasps, freezing. She leaves form an hour on a coffee outing and comes back to see her home in flames.

Firefighters are swarming around busily, one of them emerges from the flaming doorway, and he's holding Sonya's angry cat. She runs up to him, wincing at the burning he's feeling in his lungs. He hands her Minerva and she thanks him profusely, watching in horror. She doesn't know what to do for a moment, then sets down her backpack and shoves the cat inside it, hurriedly calling Wanda on her cell phone. Or, she's about to, but a blue and red streak skids by her, flaring her shirt and hair, and the Maximoff twins are next to her.

"We saw on the TV!" Wanda gasps out. It's a good thing that they're there, because suddenly Sonya feels herself burning, even though she's nowhere near the burning building.

She coughs, trying to clear non-existent smoke out of her burning lungs. "There's someone still in there!" She cries.

"Where?" Pietro asks.

"Fourth floor." He's off like a shot, leaving his sister to support a faint-feeling Sonya. Pietro's back in almost no time at all, smoking slightly, carrying an elderly woman, which he hands to a nearby by firefighter.

"We've got to get Sonya out of here." Wanda tells him. The girl in question is curled on the ground, gasping and shaking.

He nods and picks her up. "My cat's in my backpack." She whispers hoarsely. Pietro raises an eyebrow, a little confused, but Wanda peers in the bag and lifts Minerva out, slinging the bag over her shoulders, arms around the cat.

"You take her to the Avenger's Tower." She tells her brother. "Go quickly."

He nods, and is gone with a gust of wind, and is back in mere minutes, picking up his sister and the cat.

* * *

 **A/N: Longer chapter, this time, a lot of dialogue, not much action... review please! And thanks to everyone who followed and faved this story!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three  
Which is Far Too Full of Superheroes**

When her vision clears, Sonya finds herself on a couch, underneath a fluffy blanket, and Captain America is watching her. Again. But this time he's joined by a pair of concerned looking twins.

"Hydra wants to capture you." Is the first thing Pietro says to her, earning glares from his companions.

"Oh." She replies. "That… That's not good. Who's Hydra?" She sits up, reaching for the cat that the speedster hands her.

He plops down next to her. "You've ever seen this symbol before?" He holds up a picture of the insignia those balaclava clad men in the subway had been wearing.

"In the subway." She says. She squints at it and frowns. "Who the hell _invented_ this insignia? This isn't a hydra!" She whacks the picture. "This is a fucking death octopus. Not a hydra!"

"I say that all the time." A curvy young woman with wavy dark brown hair leans over the couch. "But no one ever listens to me." She sticks her hand in Sonya's face. "I'm Darcy Lewis. Nice to meet you, I like your purple hair."

"You too. I'm Sonya. And thanks."

"I hear you swore in front of Steve Rogers." Darcy continues. "Better be careful… He doesn't like that." She dissolves in to giggles, draping herself over the couch.

"It's an inside joke." Wanda explains, as Steve's eye rolling reaches new heights.

"Huh." Sonya shrugs. "So, what does Hydra want with me?"

"Your brain." Tony Stark says, popping in through a doorway.

"Noooo." Sonya monotones. "Not my brain."

Darcy and Pietro snicker at that, as Steve tries to explain. "They've been in to human experimentation for a while now." He says, meaning Hydra. "They're interested in your abilities."

"So they're trying to kill me and steal my brain?"

"Yep."

"Lovely." She thinks for a bit. "I'll take you up on that training offer."

* * *

Physical training is pure hell. Sonya is sore in muscles she didn't even know she had. Mental training is actually pretty fun, though, because she gets to do it with Wanda.

She's pretty surprised how easily the others take to her. Tony says she has some of the most interesting things to say, and she's pretty sure he and Clint have a notebook full of the ridiculous things that tend to come out of her mouth. Sonya doesn't mind it. She knows she talks weird. Rambles a lot.

When it's discovered everything she owns burned down with her apartment, Darcy, Wanda, Pepper and Natasha take her on a shopping spree, despite Sonya's protests. But it's actually not that bad, and soon her room is decked out just like her old apartment.

Wanda also finds out away to block Sonya's powers.

"It's just a theory." She explains. "I don't know if it will even work."

"Try anyway." Sonya tells her.

It works, though, and Sonya can't feel others' pain, and it's beautiful.

* * *

It's a rainy day sometime in August when Sonya's powers pop up again. She's walking past Bucky loaded down with an armful of books, when pain shoots through her left shoulder, and she drops them. The Winter Soldier gives her a concerned look as he moves to help her, but she waves him away.

"Bucky… How long has your shoulder been hurting?!" She whispers, hand clamped to her own shoulder. Bucky looks a little shocked.

"What…? I'm fine."

Sonya shakes her head furiously. "No. No, you're not! Your arm needs adjusting, doesn't it?" He blinks at her. "The plates are digging in to your skin, and it hurts to lift your arm above your waist." Her hand is over her mouth. "You need to tell Tony. He can fix it!"

Bucky opens his mouth to say something, but Steve, who pops out of a doorway, interrupts. "Tony can fix what?"

"Bucky's arm is fucked up." Sonya says.

Bucky lets out a bark of laughter at the indignantly worried look his best friend shoots at him, but then he and Sonya hiss, "Ow!" in unison as pain shoots up his prosthetic.

Steve's glare is enough to get Bucky hurrying to find Tony. Sonya sighs as the pain in her shoulder leaves with him. Steve helps her to her feet.

"He can _feel_ with that arm, Steve." She frets, gathering her books. "Make sure Tony takes a look at it more often. That fucking _hurts_." He nods, concerned.

* * *

The Avengers find it a little unsettling, when Sonya starts calling them out when they're hurting. Wanda tries to do what she did before and block her friend's powers, but it doesn't work. Sonya's ability immediately becomes an obstacle in her training. Every time she tries to punch or kick or anything, she is wracked with pain.

She's curled on the ground in the training room, clutching her jaw. Clint's crouching next to her. "It doesn't even hurt me!" He's telling her. "I don't understand!"

Sonya shakes her head. "Not true. It _does_ hurt." She replies. "But you're used to dealing with pain. It's part of your training. A kick to the jaw? It's nothing for you. You've literally trained your brain not to register the pain, but you still feel it." She looks up. "I haven't had that kind of training."

Tony hears the conversation and starts thinking. He shows up at Sonya's room several weeks later.

"I have a solution!" He tells her, grinning.

Sonya squints at him. "What? A solution for what?"

"Your ability to feel others' pain!" He holds up a black headband. "Ta-da!"

"I don't get it."

Tony grabs her wrist and drags her down to the training room. "It's not perfect." He rambles, "But I think it may help. It's designed to block any pain signals that aren't your own, so you can keep fighting."

Sonya tries to keep a skeptical outlook, but the billionaire's proud smile is really hard to resist, and honestly, she's touched by his concern.

"What if I _need_ to use my pain-feeling power?" She asks

"That's the beauty of this!" He cries. "If you concentrate, you can override the headband, but only if you deliberately mean it." He ties it over her hair. "Now, go punch Steve."

"Why?"

"To test it out." Tony waves at Cap.

The blond walks over, looking confused. His confusion only grows when Ironman tells him to let Sonya hit him.

"Uh... Why?"

"I need to test something." The shorter man says by way of explanation.

"I seriously need a better reason than that."

Tony rolls his eyes and lets out a long suffering sigh. "You are really inconveniencing me, Capsicle." He groans. Steve raises an expectant eyebrow. He's not doing anything without a valid reason. "Look." Tony says. "I invented this thing that may help Sonya control her ability to feel other peoples' pain. It's still in the beta stage, and I need to test it out."

Steve nods. "I see." He turns to Sonya. "Go ahead."

"Eh?" She had zoned out by then, thinking about the lasagna she was craving.

"Hit me." He tells her.

"Huh? Uhm... Okay?" She rears back and punches him in the jaw. The suddenness of the attack catches everyone off guard. Steve stumbles back, Tony lets out a yelp of surprise, and Sonya almost falls flat on her face.

"Ow!" Cap says, a little surprised, rubbing his jaw.

"Oh my goodness!" Sonya cries. "I'm so sorry! Did that hurt?" She freezes, eyes widening. "Holy shit! I can't feel your pain!" She whirls on Tony, grabbing his arm. "Tony!Tonytonytonytony!" She yells, shaking his arm.

The engineer lets out a whoop, picking her off the ground with a hug. "Haha! It worked!" He sets her down, realizing something. "Wait, now concentrate on Steve. See if you can override it!"

Sonya nods, screwing up her face with concentration, focusing on Cap. Tony and Steve watche her. Her eyes brighten suddenly, and she winces, hand flying to her jaw.

"It works?" The two ask.

She nods, her eyes a little wet. "It works."

* * *

"Tony, put ice on that burn." She says at lunch one day, around a bite of mac and cheese. He stares at her, then at his smarting arm. He had singed it slightly while working with a blow torch earlier that morning.

"That's kind of freaky, Purple." He tells her, accepting the ice pack she hands him.

"Tell me about it." She replies, fetching a first-aid kit and tending to the wound. They both jump with surprise as her fingertips begin to glow purple as soon as she touches the burn. Their disbelief only increases when she moves her hand and it's gone.

"Holy fucking _shit_." Tony breathes. Sonya stares at her fingers like she's never seen them before. The engineer's eyes light up and he presses his hand against the still-hot stove top.

"Tony!" Sonya shrieks, waving her hand. "WHAT THE _HELL_?!"

He doesn't say anything, just grabs her hand. "Here, do that again."

"Do _what_ again?!" She's looking at him like he's lost his mind, but her hands glow purple again and the pain in Tony's hand fades.

They gawk at each other for a while in silence, then Tony grabs her by the shoulders and shakes her wildly. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS MEANS!?"

She can't really answer because he's still shaking her, but makes a sort of strangled noise of distress. Sam Wilson pops his head in, looking confused.

"He-e-e-e-elp-p-p!" Sonya squeaks.

"You better stop shaking her before her head flies off, Tony." The Falcon says conversationally, not really helping in the least, but Tony lets go and careens out of the room.

"We're having a meeting!" He calls back. "Don't move!"

"What's that about?" Sam asks, busying himself with making a sandwich.

"Apparently, I'm more of a freak than we originally thought." Sonya replies.

"Oh."

It takes a while for Tony to gather everyone, but when he does, he dashes over to Sonya. "Guys, check this out! Sonya, do the thing!"

"Again?"

He nods vigorously, then scrapes his arm.

"Don't _DO_ that!" Sonya yelps, clutching her own arm.

"Just do that thing you did!" Tony says. She sighs and gently touches the abrasion, her fingers glowing. Noises of shock filter through the others when he displays his perfectly healed arm.

"Well…" Pietro says. "Now she needs a super hero name."

"I really don't." Sonya says.

"Fabulous idea!" Tony declares. "We're gonna call you…" He trails off, thinking.

"Remedy." Everyone turns to look at Bucky. He's grinning. "We're gonna call her Remedy."

* * *

 **A/N: Sam you fucking asshole, rescue people from crazed Tonys, it's your job, dammit! Also, Bucky and Sonya are bros. I don't know why, they just are.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four  
In Which Sonya Is Far Too Popular**

Sonya isn't sure how the picture got up on the Avengers' Instagram page, but it has far too many likes already. It's a photo of the Steve and Bucky engaged in a furious battle of ping-pong, which isn't bad… The thing she has a problem with is that _she's_ in it, laughing hysterically at Bucky's concentrating face. And there are far too many comments speculating on who she is.

 _Maybe she's dating the Winter Soldier?_ One of the comments wonders. Sonya splutters indignantly, storming out of her room.

"WHO POSTED THIS PICTURE?!" She screeches. Darcy pokes her head around a doorway.

"I did!" The brunette grins at Sonya's outraged face. "What? It's cute!"

"People are shipping me!" The healer exclaims. "With _Bucky_!"

"I could actually see that happening."

"Darcy! He's like, 90 years older than me!"

"I'm actually 72 years older than you." Bucky chimes in, looking up from a book he's reading.

"Probably more like 76." Steve adds. "Sonya's only 19."

"People are having shipping wars." Darcy grins.

"What?!" Sonya snatches the brunette's phone and glowers. "This is insane! Who in the world ships _real people_?!"

* * *

It only gets worse when Darcy posts a video of Sonya and the twins engaged in a furiously intense game of Jenga, where Sonya is cracking up while Pietro argues that using powers to win the game must be breaking _some_ sort of rule.

The tabloids are much too full of her face by the time Steve drags her out on her first mission.

"You won't be doing any fighting." He assures her. "You just have to stand back and watch."

"I didn't sign up for this." She complains, but Nat just laughs at her indignation and Clint ruffles her hair. It's the whole crew going, and it's supposed to be a simple mission, too, just subdue a gang that they suspect may be involved with the buying and selling of several types of illegal explosives.

It's going fine (or as fine as a dangerous fight with wanted criminals _can_ go) when an SUV manages to give them the slip.

"Pietro! You and—…" Steve pauses, looking around for someone to accompany the speedster. There's only Sonya, who's using her healing powers to fix a cut in the speedster's calf. "Sonya! After that SUV!"

She barely has time to react before Pietro jumps up, gives an elaborate salute to Cap, scoops her up bridal style, and takes off.

"You can't just run into that full-tilt!" Sonya berates Pietro. He scoffs.

"Sure I can!"

"You're gonna break your face, you idiot!" She howls, throwing her hands up and forming a force field around the two of them. She does it just in time, too, because they hit the back bumper and ricochet off it into a building.

They aren't hurt, thanks to Sonya, only a little jarred, when they land in a heap in the road.

"That was bizarre." Pietro says.

"You can't just run into things!" Sonya snaps. "One of these days, you'll just be pancaked!"

He isn't paying her any mind, just grinning at the vehicle they managed to crash. "Well, it worked!"

The SUV has skidded sideways in to a divider on the road, and the gang members are spilling out of it. "Get them." She tells her friend. "I'm going to commandeer any explosives." He nods and takes off, while she follows at a significantly slower speed. The gang members are surprisingly tough, and there are quite a few in the van, but Sonya just puts a bubble around herself and plows through them, giggling softly at the way they bounce off.

One of the guys whirls and lobs a grenade at a crowd of onlookers. She swerves, releasing her shield and throwing herself towards the explosive, arms out stretched. Her bubble captures it the moment before it goes off, and she grabs it in her arms, curling her body around it. She lands in the fetal position, skidding to a halt as the grenade explodes. But her bubble contains it. She feels nothing more than a jarring in her stomach. Not taking any chances, she throws it straight in the air as hard as she can before releasing the bubble.

She doesn't even register the cheers and cameras flashing as she whirls around to intercept the man still making his way towards her and the civilians. Sonya throws herself at him, legs first, kicking him hard in the jaw with one rubber-soled heel. He tumbles back, allowing her to elbow him in the temple for good measure, to assure he stays down. She's panting, wound up with adrenaline, when a yell from her left indicates another thug is running at her. She turns, ready to deliver an ass-whupping, but he goes flying with a streak of blue. Pietro skids to a stop next to her.

"You are okay?" He asks, grinning when she nods an affirmative.

"Is anyone hurt?" She turns to the onlookers. "I'm a healer, I can he-!" She's cut off as a woman screams, and she and Pietro whirl around.

One of the gang members, a man with a blaze of flames tattooed across his menacing face, is holding a five-year-old girl up by the back of her overalls, and another has his arm locked around the throat of a woman who must be the child's mother.

Pietro makes a move to run to save them, but the first man cocks a gun and presses the muzzle to the little girl's temple.

"One move out of you, speedy," He snarls, "And the girl gets it."

Quicksilver freezes, and the hand Sonya places on his arm with isn't really needed.

"I'm glad you pathetic heroes have at least a little common sense." Fire-face chuckles. "Your concern about the lives of others will always be your downfall." He rambles on, but the two Avengers aren't listening.

"How fast can you go carrying me?" Sonya asks her friend.

"Pretty fast."

"Fast enough to drop me by the thug with the girl's mom and for you to grab the girl."

"Probably."

"I don't wanna know _probably_! I want to know if you _can_!"

"Yeah. I can."

"Good. 'cuz that's the only plan I've got."

The thugs don't even register Pietro and Sonya have vanished, before the healer is kicking the thug #2 in the face, shoving the mother out of the way, and the speedster has snatched the little girl out of Fire-face's grip. By the time they move to start fighting, Pietro has deposited the girl in her mother's arms, and Sonya has thrown a shield up around them all.

That's when Sam and Clint show up and attack the gang members.

"Are you hurt?" Sonya turns around and crouches down next to the mother and her child.

"I-I… n-no. No." The mother says, but Sonya shakes her head and places a hand to the woman's shoulder.

"You've gotten scraped up." She says. "I'm sorry for tackling you like that."

"Oh, no! It's fine! It really is! You saved my life, and, more importantly, you saved Grace!"

Sonya smiles. "I'm glad to help!" She ruffles the little girl's head. "You escaped without a scratch!" She tells her. "How very brave!" The little girl grins.

"What's your name?" She asks.

"Call me Remedy."

* * *

The picture of Sonya crouching in front of the mother and her child, her hands still glowing slightly, face scratched and bloodied, purple hair falling out of her bun and sticking to her forehead, is on the front page of the paper the next morning, and emblazoned on every tabloid. The headline on the _Times_ reads _"Her Name is Remedy!"_. The news is also full of her face, and videos of her healing onlookers, and Sonya finds in overwhelmingly embarrassing, especially when she and Wanda go to the grocery store and are mobbed in the cereal aisle.

"Good thing you practiced signing your name as Remedy." Wanda chuckles, scrawling 'Scarlet Witch' on a teenaged girl's receipt.

Sonya just blushes furiously and shyly signs a little boy's baseball cap, blushing harder when he shoots her a gap-toothed grin and tells her she's amazing.

"The video of you healing the man with the bullet wound has reached the number one spot on YouTube." Vision informs her.

"You're on the cover of _People_ again." Tony says in passing. "Apparently, you and Sam are deeply in love."

("How'd they figure that?" Sam asks, peering over his shoulder. Tony shows him a picture of Sonya hugging the Falcon immediately after she had healed him. "Fascinating.")

"We're dating." Wanda says, "According to the internet." She shows Sonya a picture of the two of them out on their weekly coffee date.

"You're also my long-lost sister." Clint adds.

("How would that work?" Sonya splutters. "I'm _black_.")

There is soon a cork board filled with the most bizarre fan theories they can find, and slowly, she gets used to how odd it is to be famous.

* * *

 **A/N: I've decided to make this Sonya/Pietro… What do you guys think? Review please! They really keep me going!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five  
In Which A New Threat Appears**

The news soon loses interest in Sonya, which is a relief, but it's not exactly for the best reason, though, which is decidedly _not_ a relief. A long string of unsolved kidnappings has popped up, ranging all over the States.

"Is there _any_ connection between the victims?" Tony asks.

"Besides the fact that they're all under 25, I haven't seen one yet, no." Steve replies.

"This is horrible." Sonya whispers, scrolling through one of the victim's profiles. Her brow knots. "Vision…" She says. "You were looking at the file of that Lucas girl, right?"

"Rosemary Lucas, age 10, yes?"

"What does it say about her health?"

"Nothing much. She has ADHD, and is on the Autism spectrum…"

"What about your person, Bruce?" She asks. "ASD and ADHD?"

"Uh… Yeah."

"Same with mine. But he has epilepsy, too." Tony says.

"I figured." Sonya tells him. "I think that's our connecting factor." She scratches her chin. "Do we have a scan of my brain?"

"Uh, yeah…" he says. "I think it's in your file."

"Pull it up, will you?" Soon there's a 3D hologram of the healer's brain in front of them all.

"What does this have to do with anything?" Steve asks.

"I'm pretty much the same as these victims." She tells him. "I have ADHD, and I'm on the Autism Spectrum. My brain is different. Quite different, then someone without those conditions." She squints. "And another thing. I'm under 25. My brain is still developing."

"So?"

"It's the perfect time to tamper." She says. "Think about it. What are the advantages of having ASD and ADHD?"

"People with Attention-Deficit usually have a quicker reaction time." Bruce says.

"Exactly. And someone with ASD? If they're higher on the spectrum, you have a high IQ, high attention to detail, different ways of processing things… Wanda, you've been in my head, I don't think the same as say… Steve or Clint, do I?"

"No."

"Elaborate. Humor me." Sonya says.

"Uh, you don't think in words or pictures, so much as concepts… I don't really know, it's hard to explain."

"Look at it this way, theory is that a higher amount of synapses in the brain causes autism. Same with epilepsy. Either those synapses are silent, and just sit there, or they go crazy and cause seizures. But what if, you could get those synapses to _do_ something...?"

"Like what?"

Sonya grins. "Well, I have a pretty good idea what _my_ extra synapses are doing!" She whirls. "Clint's getting a headache, and his right arm is sore. Bucky bit his tongue just now."

"You mean you think your powers come from your ASD?" Bruce muses.

"It's the most logical explanation I can think of."

"So these kidnappings are a ring of mad scientists creating an army of super soldiers?" Tony says. "That doesn't really follow."

Steve, Bucky, Pietro and Wanda glare at him. "Seriously?"

"…Now that I think about it, that make's much more sense than I initially thought."

* * *

The day starts out normally, with Wanda and Sonya heading out on their weekly coffee run, wearing big sweatshirts and stocking caps against the autumn chill. The healer has tucked her newly dyed violet hair under a beanie, declaring it much too cold to be mobbed by fans, much to her friend's amusement. They're discussing the possibility of Wanda getting a nose stud when the temperature drops significantly. The two supers frown, Sonya clutching at her hat as a gust of frigid air slaps them in the face.

"That's not normal." Wanda says, eyes fixed on the Avenger's tower, where a threatening looking cloud is broiling above it. Sonya nods in agreement.

"We better get going."

By the time they round the corner, they can see Sam, Tony, Rhodey, Vision, and Thor darting in and out of it. "Definitely a threat." The healer confirms. "Wanda, you better get up there." Scarlet Witch nods.

Sonya makes her way back to the tower alone, dodging several tree branches, fighting against a wind that seems to grow stronger with every step she takes. An unusually strong gust blows her right off her feet, catching in her jacket, bowling her back.

She has time to spit out an obscenity before unzipping the garment. It whips away. Sonya waves after it. "Bye, jacket. I loved you."

"You shouldn't wear baggy clothes on a windy day." Pietro chuckles, popping out of seemingly nowhere and grabbing her wrist before she falls again. "You're so tiny you might blow away."

"Pietro!" She gasps.

He grins as he pulls her closer to him. "What? You did not see that coming?"

"Is this seriously the best time to flirt?" Another gust of wind slams against her. She isn't quite sure, but it feels as if this wind is whirling around her, trying to drag her away. She doubts it, that is, until her feet lift off the ground and Pietro's eyes widen. He glances back at the tower, then back at her.

"I think you're being kidnapped." He yells, tightening his hold on her arm before being knocked over.

"YAH THINK?!" She screeches, as the two of them go tumbling. He doesn't answer, because his hand is slipping, and she gasps when he's torn away from her. Sonya thinks it's all over when a second gust blows her away. She winces when she falls, scraping her hands and knees, clinging to a grate in the street. She isn't able to get a good grip, and she's tumbling again.

Pietro grabs her around the waist and drags her around the side of a building, into an alley and out of the wind, the two of them falling over in a heap, holding tight to one another. Pietro whaps at her hair, trying unsuccessfully to get the purple locks out of his face.

"You have too much hair!" He complains, somehow grabbing it all in his hands and holding it away from him. "I think it's alive, because I'm pretty sure it just tried to suffocate me."

"Never mind _that_!" Sonya yells, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt and shaking him. "I just almost got kidnapped by a crazy person with wind powers!"

"I know. I was there."

"I was almost blown away!" She shrieks, shaking her hair out of his hands. "Why aren't you more concerned?! _I'm_ concerned! Holy shit! I could've died!" She runs her hand through her hair. "When did you get that gash on your arm?!"

"Huh?" Pietro squints at her, concerned. Maybe she's lost her mind? But Sonya pokes his right bicep and he sucks in a breath as pain lances down his arm. He notices the gash for the first time. It's long and ugly, streaking down from his shoulder to stop on the inside of his elbow, stained with dirt and pebbles. The healer is squinting at it.

"I'm not healing that until we get it cleaned out." She tells him, pulling her curly hair back into a bun. She scrambles off his legs and pulls him up. He winces. Now that he's lost the adrenaline rush, his arm is starting to really hurt. Sonya ducks in a door in the alley, which leads to the kitchen of a small bakery. The employees, who are taking cover under the counters, shoot the two Avengers surprised looks. Pietro waves sheepishly, but his companion is on a mission, tugging him over to the sink.

"I'm sorry, I need to use this." She says to a confused looking baker, wresting the extendable faucet out of his hands. "Put your arm in the sink." She tells Pietro, turning on the water at a slow trickle, and snatching a clean towel off a rack. She begins dabbing at the cut. He winces and jerks his arm away.

"Ow!" He says accusingly.

"This may hurt." Sonya says belatedly. The speedster glares down at her, but all of her attention is fixed on his gash. It doesn't take her long to clean it out, and soon she's placing her glowing hands on his arm. Pietro can feel his ears starting to turn red. "Better?" She asks, glancing up at him. He ignores his burning, very possibly extremely red ears, and nods, flexing his arm and winking.

"Much."

Sonya rolls her eyes.

Glass smashes as a window shatters and wind rushes in to the kitchen. "Everyone get out of here!" Sonya yells, throwing up her hands to form a shield. Pietro bundles the civilians into a back room and slams the door, grabbing the purple haired girl and tackles her behind a counter.

"Oh!" She says. "You saved me… Again."

"You did not see that coming, either?"

* * *

 **A/N: Pietro Maximoff is a flirtatious little dork. Comment if you agree.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Note: Please read the ENTIRE author's note at the end! I has IMPORTANT INFORMATION!**

 **Chapter Six**

 **In Which Our Heroes Regroup**

It doesn't take long before the airborne Avengers are able to beat back the freaky lady they see in the middle of the cloud. When the wind dies, Pietro and Sonya hurry back to the tower. Or, they try to hurry, because Sonya takes time to heal the worst of the injuries, including several dozen broken bones. She is finishing up healing a child's arm, when the extent of her powers finally get to her, and she faints, unable to keep back the sense of others' pain, even with her headband

"Is she okay?" The kid asks Pietro as he lifts Sonya up.

"Oh, yeah. She's fine. Just a little tired out."

* * *

" _Sofiya."_

 _Sonya frowns. She's surrounded by darkness. The voice calling her given name seems to come from all around her._

" _Sofiya." It calls again._

" _Who's there?" She replies. She knows it's not Wanda. She would recognize her best friend. "What do you want?"_

" _My, my. Is that anyway to greet a new friend?"_

" _What? I don't even know who you are! A new friend? I've got plenty of friends."_

" _Now, you have another! You'd better wake up now."_

* * *

Sonya's eyes fly open, she gasps, and jerks upward, the top of her head colliding with Pietro's chin. He yelps and drops her, the two of them landing in a heap, groaning and rubbing their heads.

"Ow!" The speedster hisses accusingly. "That _hurt_!"

The healer clutches her head. "Owowow! Geez!"

They make quite a picture, lying in the entryway of the Avenger's tower, groaning in pain. It makes sense that Clint busts out laughing when he enters the room, intent on investigating the commotion.

* * *

The Avenger's gather in the living room, battered and bleeding, but everyone still alive.

"That was extremely bizarre." Tony says, pressing an icepack to a bump on his temple.

"You can say that again." Sam says, dabbing at a cut on his forehead.

"That was extremely bizarre." Ironman repeats, a shit-eating grin on his face. Everyone lets out long-suffering sighs.

Sonya and Pietro are tearing into an entire box of Cliff bars, trying to boost their energy.

"I'm sorry, guys." Sonya mumbles around a mouthful. "I'll get right to tending your injuries in a moment. Let me just finish this."

Steve waves her off. "It's fine, Sonya. Take your time." He isn't badly hurt, having been stuck with getting civilians to safety, unable to fight because of the wind.

The healer nods and shoves another bite in her mouth, eyes scanning over her friends. Of the group that had been fighting in the air, Vision was the only one uninjured, unsurprisingly. Wanda and Sam have several lacerations and bruises along their arms, legs and heads. Thor is suffering from a bad cut along his temple and a sprained hand. Tony and Rhodey, who had been protected by their suits, aren't in bad shape, either, just a goose-egg forming on Tony's temple, and Rhodey has two broken ribs from when he was thrown into a building.

Sonya swallows and stands up, hurrying to Sam and Wanda first. Everyone relaxes when they're all healed, the sense of well-being gained from being fixed up is contagious.

Talk soon turns to the attack, Tony and his group doing their best to explain what they had encountered.

"They were controlling the wind." Ironman says. "I think it was a woman, not very old though, maybe around 26 or so?"

"That sounds about right." Rhodey agrees.

"Her power was quite impressive." Thor booms, stroking his chin. "Never have I seen a mortal able to contend with us so easily. Her powers were almost other worldly in their strength. I am still very puzzled over this."

"The weird thing is," Wanda says. "Is that most people have a goal or a motivation. I couldn't detect one, though."

"Yes. Her purpose was hidden extremely well." Vision put in.

"Maybe she was just a distraction?" Steve proposed. "Or an intimidation tactic?"

Pietro and Sonya's eyes meet from across the room.

"I don't think so." The speedster pipes up. "She was going for something."

"The attack on the Tower may have been a diversion, though." Sonya adds. "But she was definitely on a mission that was more than just an intimidation tactic."

"What do you think she was after?" Bucky asks. He looks wary, eyes fixed on the healer as if he already knows the answer, and fears it.

"Me."

The word rings through the room, everyone stiffening.

"What makes you think that?" Natasha inquires, the first to break the silence. Sonya fidgets, tugging at a curl of purple hair.

"The wind… It seemed to be trying to… grab me."

She looks up, realizing her explanation isn't sufficient. "Like…" She pauses, casting around for the right words. "It would whirl around me, like it was trying to grab me, take me away. Trying to tip me over."

"Do you think this has to do with the kidnappings happening?" Clint says.

"I'm not following." Rhodey tells him.

Hawkeye bites his lip. "Sonya, you said you were like the kidnapping victims, you have ADHD… You're on the Autism Spectrum… The only difference is… You already have powers. Maybe…maybe…"

"Maybe they want to use her as an example." Bucky says, his voice flat. "They want to see how she works and try to copy that. She's a resource, an asset." His voice tightens with the last word, an almost imperceptible shiver running through his body.

* * *

The meeting doesn't last long after that, Clint and Nat heading out to do a perimeter check, Bucky disappearing to his room, Steve heading to the training room, Bruce to the lab, Sonya burying herself in a book.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y." Tony says.

"Yes?"

"Up security around Sonya."

He won't admit it to anyone, but the possibility of the girl getting taken is terrifying to him. _'Damn.'_ He thinks. _'I think I may actually be fond of the kid.'_

"You're worried about her." Pepper says, emerging from the kitchen and handing him a warm drink.

Tony gives a noncommittal shrug, not looking at her. "I don't know."

"It's okay to let other people in." She says, hugging him. "You let me in."

"I don't know, Pepper. I don't know."

* * *

"Hey."

Sonya looks up from her book to see Bucky standing in the open doorway of her room. He's got a package under one arm, his eyes shadowed, brown hair pulled back in a sloppy ponytail.

"Hey back." Sonya replies, waving him in. The ex-assassin plops down on the rug next to her, leaning back against her bed. "You okay?" She asks him.

He nods. "You should be more worried about yourself." He places the package he brought with him on her lap. "This is for you. Something to protect yourself."

Sonya set down her book and looks at the package. It's just a black drawstring backpack. She opens it and dumps out its contents. A supple leather utility belt, lined with pockets, is easy to identify. Two of the pockets hold a pair of brass knuckles, ridged and dangerous looking. The fit her amazingly well. A pair of whips is strapped to the belt as well, about six feet, six inches long, including the handles.

"I know you don't like guns." Bucky says. "I was gonna give these to you for your birthday, but you need them more right now." He takes one of the whips, pointing to a button on the handle. "If you push this, you can send an electric pulse down the strap."

"You were gonna give me weapons for my twentieth birthday?" Sonya says.

"What? You don't like 'em?"

"Are you kidding me?! I love them! It's just… weapons are a weird birthday present."

"I didn't have to get you anything, you know." He shoots back.

Sonya laughs. "Thanks." She leans into his shoulder, looping her arm through his. "Can I just ask… Why?"

Bucky looks fixedly at the opposite wall. "You remind me of my sister."

"You have a sister?!"

"Had. She's gone, now."

"Bucky… I'm so sorry!"

"Her name was Emily. She was 16 when I joined the army. A lot like Steve, actually. Tiny, spunky, wouldn't take no for an answer."

"What… What happened to her?" Sonya asks tentatively. "After the war? You don't have to answer=, if you don't want to…"

"Nah, it's fine." He replies. "She joined SHIELD. One of the first agents. She always wanted to be a hero, save other people…. She died while taking down a terrorist, saving over 500 people."

"That… That's amazing. Are you proud of her?"

"Very."

They sit in silence for a while, before Sonya blurts out, "I don't really have a family."

Bucky glances down at her. She's wringing her fingers. "I never knew my dad. He died from overdosing. My mom died when I was 10. She had me when she was just 16 when I was born. We lived with my grandparents for the first 6 years of my life."

"What happened?"

"A house fire. Mom and I were out, Mom at work –she was a nurse- I was at school. I was a smart kid. We came home to see nothing but rubble." Sonya looks up at the ceiling, swallowing hard, blinking back tears.

"You don't have to finish." Bucky tells her gently, putting his arm around her and pulling her close.

"No…" She replies. "I-I have to tell someone. It feels good to get it out." She rubs her nose. "Mom and I got an apartment, and things were better. I was smart, for a kid. Like, really smart. A prodigy. I was in 5th grade by the time I was six. I started feeling other people's pain then, too. It was scary, but Mom didn't really believe me. I mean, I was six! She couldn't have been expected to believe me…  
"I got accepted into this special school for kids like me, I was diagnosed with Autism there. I loved it there. Mom was really proud of me. I was just starting 9th grade when Mom got in a car accident and died. My only living relative was my dad's dad, but Social Services couldn't find him for a long time I jumped around from foster home to foster home until I was 13. They found my grandfather, then. He… he was good to me. I got a scholarship to Cornell and began studying psychiatry. He died when I was eighteen. I was just finishing my 6th year of college. I've sort of floated around since. No one really wants to hire an 18 year old, even if she's graduated at the top of her class…"

"Then the subway thing happened."

She nods. "Then the subway thing happened… And here I am!"

"Life sucks." Bucky says.

"It sure does."

* * *

 **A/N: There! Enjoy! A little bit of Sonya/Pietro, parental!Tony/Sonya, and sibling!Bucky/Sonya. REVIEW, PLEASE! They really keep me going! ALSO! THE NEXT CHAPTERS WILL GET PROGRESSIVELY DARKER, SO READ WITH CAUTION!  
I also UPDATED most of the earlier chapters, most notably chapter 2 and 3! So go check them out! I added quite a bit of important information, so make sure to take a look!**


	7. Chapter 7

**WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS WILL HAVE DARKER THEMES.  
TRIGGERS FOR THIS CHAPTER: VIOLENCE and NIGHTMARES** _ **  
**_ _ **PLEASE USE DISCRETION!**_

 **Chapter Seven  
In Which There is No Rest for the Weary**

Sonya finds Bucky's gifts extremely helpful in the following weeks. Attacks have increased throughout the country, bringing with them concerned government officials, and worried superheroes. Antman is the first to show up, Scott Lang bringing a story of a man with the ability to manipulate gravity. Spiderman is close on his heels with a similar story of an ordinary person with extraordinary abilities. The Guardians of the Galaxy even make an appearance.

"We landed in Florida." Peter Quill tells Tony. "Some dude tried to BURN MY FACE OFF!"

The information only gets more worrying. Sonya's birthday brings a slight respite, giving everyone an excuse to relax and celebrate.

It doesn't last long, though. T'Challa shows up the next day, with worrying news from his country. Power like no one has seen before, wielded by young people, none of them over thirty.

Attacks on New York are becoming all too common. They aren't of massive size, but are enough to get every single Avenger out and fighting. It quickly becomes clear that Sonya is the reason for this, the enemy dead set on capturing her.

Tony sets her up with far too many tracking devices, and there's always someone right next her during a fight. She refuses to stay in the tower, refuses to hide when her family is out and fighting, refuses to let innocent bystanders be hurt, not if she can do anything about it.

But things are so hard now, and a strange voice haunts her dreams.

* * *

" _They don't love you."_ It hisses, curling in her mind like a snake. _"They're just using you."_ Sonya tries to block it out. _"They'll think you're crazy."_ It croons. _"Don't tell them anything."_ Time passes, and it gets harder to ignore, even slipping into her mind while she's awake.

She's healing a long gash on Peter Parker's chest, chatting with the younger boy, a surge of protectiveness flooding her at the determination in his wide brown eyes.

" _You don't need to do that."_ The whisper curls inside her head. _"Just stop. You have the power. You can let him die."_

Sonya stumbles back, eyes wide, staring at nothing.

Peter shoots her a concerned look, reaching out and touching her knee. "Sonya? Are you okay?"

She shakes her head vigorously, shooting him a strained smile. "Yeah. I'm fine. You're done, now." He bites his lip, wavering. She certainly doesn't _look_ okay. Sonya flaps her hand at him. "Shoo. Other people need help, too."

The voice comes back later that night, when she's standing in the shower, hot water cascading down her shoulders. _"You don't have to be their slave."_

"I'm not." She whispers.

" _Really? Could've fooled me. You drop everything to help them, and they don't even say thank you."_

"Things are stressful right now. Everyone's stretched too thin."

" _Keep telling yourself that."_

"Get the hell out of my head."

" _Oh, Sofiya."_ The voice croons. _"You can't get rid of me! I'm part of you!"_

"No. No, you aren't."

" _Oh, but I am! Don't worry, Sonechka. I'm here to protect you!"_

Sonya stiffens. Sonechka. The nickname her mom called her, her grandfather's pet name for her, Natasha and Bucky's term of endearment for her. She clutches at the shower curtain. "Get out." She hisses. "GET OUT. GO AWAY. LEAVE. ME. _ALONE_!"

She's panting, shivering, shaking. She gets dressed as fast as she can, curling up under her covers, trying to relax.

* * *

 _Pietro's slumped in front of her, he's bleeding, his stomach stained crimson, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth. "You didn't see that coming?" He smirks, collapsing, the life draining out of his blue eyes. Sonya gasps, trying to scream, trying to go to him, but he vanishes, and Wanda's in his place. Her eyes blank, face curled into a vicious scowl._

" _You let him die." Her voice reverberates around Sonya. "My big brother, my only family, you could have saved him."_

" _I tried!" Sonya's screaming, sobbing, "I tried to save him!"_

" _You let HIM DIE!" Wanda's voice raises to a shriek. "YOUR BEST FRIEND! MY BIG BROTHER! YOU. LET. HIM. DIE!"_

" _No. No. Wanda, no!"_

" _I hate you." She thrusts her hand out, body glowing, magic the color of blood circling Sonya, squeezing, burning like fire. "I HATE YOU!"_

 _Sonya's body moves on its own, arm flinging out, her whip wrapping around Wanda's throat. Sonya's voice is speaking, but she isn't the one controlling it. "Feel free to join him, then!" Her thumb jams down the button on the handle, and a sparks race down the strap, and Wanda's screaming. But Sonya can't do anything, just laugh as her best friend writhes in pain._

* * *

Sonya jerks up with a wordless scream, hands clutching at her duvet. "No, nonono." She gasps, shaking. "It's not real. It's not real. Pietro and Wanda are okay. They're okay." She glances at the clock. 6 am. No use trying to fall back asleep.

The day is uneventful, no attacks happen, thankfully. Sonya plows through it, trying to banish the dream from her mind. It's gone by the time she goes to bed, thankfully.

* * *

 _Clint smiles at her, but it isn't the familiar, contagious grin she's so used to. It's hard, cold, a smirk that doesn't reach his eyes._

" _You couldn't save them." He snarls, hand tightening around her throat. "You failed them, Sonya. You KILLED them!" He wrenches her around, and she sees Wanda and Pietro laying side-by-side, eyes blank, staring at nothing. "You're a MURDERER."_

 _Sonya's leg moves of its own accord, slamming in to his stomach. They stumble apart, and there's a gun in her hand, and she's not in control of her own body anymore. She pulls the trigger, and Clint falls back as the bullet buries itself in her shoulder. He pulls himself up and charges her, a well-placed kick sending the gun flying. Sonya wouldn't normally be able to beat Clint, but he's hurt, exhausted, and she is stronger, faster, more powerful than she should be._

 _She beats him down easily, pressing a knife to his throat. "Say goodbye, Hawkeye. I hope you told your family you loved them."_

" _You're a monster."_

" _Why, thank you!" The blade slices across his throat, blood spilling over her hands._

* * *

 _Sonya's smirking down at Natasha, the redhead clutching at a gash in her side, blood pouring from innumerable wounds. The ex-assassin is glaring up her, but her eyes are haunted._

" _You can't… You shouldn't be able to beat me. How…?"_

" _You underestimated me, Natalia." The thing wearing Sonya's body cackles. "Just like Wanda and Clint did."_

" _YOU… Clint..? You KILLED him?!"_

" _Easily. He was sobbing when it happened, begging me to spare you, begging me to spare his family. It was pathetic."_

" _YOU BITCH!" Natasha throws herself at the Sonya. The Thing controlling Sonya blocks the attack with ease. The Black Widow dies with her eyes full of betrayal._

* * *

 _Sonya screams. She can't do anything, she can't even control her own body. "STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"_

 _The Voice cackles. "Oh, Sonya! You can't get rid of me! I'm PART of you!"_

" _NO. NO, YOU_ _AREN'T_ _!"_

" _Oh, but I am."_

 _And Sonya can only watch as the Voice uses her body to destroy her friends._

 _Peter stares at the knife buried in his stomach with shock. His eyes plead with Sonya. He's so young, lost and confused, begging her to make it better, but she can only watch as the Voice pulls out the knife, and he falls. Sonya hurries to him, but she's not in her body, and he can't see her. She sobs as her hand goes right through him._

" _No. No! Peter! Peter, please!"_

 _He turns his head towards her, brown eyes widening. He can see her. He's looking at her. He's scared. He's so scared! He's just a kid! Only a kid! Sonya can only watch as the light fades from his eyes._

 _She tries to shake him, screaming his name, but she's incorporeal, she can't touch him, can't hug him, she doesn't even get to shut his eyes, before the Voice whisks her away._

 _She has to watch as it tears through Pepper and Rhodey. Sam's shocked indignation feels like a bullet to the chest. Bruce can't even transform._

 _Tony's standing there, in front of her, the visor in the suit torn away. His eyes are filled with tears. He's crying. Sonya screams when the Voice tears him out of the suit, sinking a knife in the arc reactor in his chest. Tony jerks, eyes wide and pain-filled. The Voice drops him like a sack of potatoes. He braces his hands against the ground, trying to pull himself up._

" _You're not her." He grits out. The Voice pauses, turning._

" _Oh?"_

" _You're not… Sonya…" He falls. "You look like her. You sound like her. But you aren't Sonya!"_

" _Very astute of you, Tony." It hisses. "But I AM Sonya. I'm part of her. A part of her she can't escape."_

" _No." He shakes his head. "No. She's NOTHING like you."_

 _The Voice cackles. "Oh, I'm just dying to watch Sonya sob over you as you die! Pardon the pun!_

 _And suddenly, Sonya's in charge of her body again. She stumbles, running to Tony._

" _I knew it." He grunts when she turns him over on his back. He grins at her. "I KNEW it!"_

 _Sonya can't answer, she's crying, face buried in his chest._

" _Hey, it'll be fine." Tony says, putting an arm around her. "It's gonna be fine."_

 _She shakes her head. "No! No! Don't leave me!"_

" _Hey, it's okay, Doc. I'll be okay."_

" _STOP LYING!" She screams. "STOP LYING, TONY!"_

 _Tony fights his way into a sitting position, leaning heavily on the wall. "Okay. Okay. Sorry. Sorry."_

 _Sonya clings to him, like a little girl clinging to her dad. "I love you." She sobs. "I love you. I know you didn't necessarily try, but thanks for being kind of like a dad. Or maybe a weird uncle."_

 _Tony bites his lip, a lump in his throat. He didn't know Sonya felt that way about him. "I love you, too, kid." He chokes out, kissing her forehead. "Sonya."_

 _She feels him die, and it feels like her heart is being torn out. The Voice is in charge of her body again._

" _Pathetic."_

" _No." Sonya surprises herself._

" _Excuse me?"_

" _Get out of my head."_

" _What?"_

" _I SAID, GET OUT!"_

" _You can't get rid of me, Sonya. I'm part of you."_

" _Bullshit. Tony was right. You are NOTHING like me!"_

 _The surroundings fade away, and Sonya is glaring across a white room at a nearly perfect copy of herself. Other-Sonya laughs. "Are you trying to destroy me? Sonya, I am YOU!"_

" _No. YOU._ _ **AREN'T!**_ _"_

" _Sonechka…"_

" _DON'T CALL ME THAT!"_

 _Other-Sonya's face twists in to a grimace. "Fool." Her body transforms, and Other-Sonya is replaced by a pale-skinned woman with dark eyes, and black hair._

" _I knew it." Sonya whispers._

" _You've made a grave mistake, Sonya King, making an enemy of Vox." Suddenly, a lance of pain stabs through Sonya's mind. "I'm taking you." Vox hisses._

" _Wh-what?"_

" _I'm taking away Sonya King. Your memories, your personality, everything that makes you, YOU." A cold smile twists across her face. "And I'm going to DESTROY it."_

 _Sonya can't form a thought, she can't fight, but somewhere, in the back of her mind, some part of her is screaming 'NO!'_

" _ **NO!**_ _"_

* * *

" **NO!** " Sonya wakes up with the word on her lips. She gasps and stumbles out of bed, fleeing her room. She collides with Tony head-on. She stumbles back, staring up at him, before letting out a sob and flinging herself into his arms. He drops his coffee mug in shock as her arms close around his middle.

"Sonya?" He asks, worriedly, grabbing her shoulders.

"You're not dead." She mumbles into his chest.

"Uh… Obviously…"

She lets go of him and falls to the ground. "It's okay." She mumbles. "Everything's okay." But she's sobbing in to her hands. Tony kneels down next to her, quite at a lost.

"Sonya? What's wrong?"

She looks up him, tears staining her cheeks. "Nothing!" She lets out a weak laugh, hugging herself, hand to her head. "Nothing's wrong!" She flings herself at him again, shaking, trying to steady herself by grabbing fistfuls of his shirt. "Everything's okay! Everyone's fine!"

Tony does something completely out of character. He hugs her back. "Of course we are." He tells her. "Why wouldn't we be?"

Sonya chokes out the story of her dream between sobs. It's muddled and confused, but Tony seems to understand.

"I don't want to hurt you guys!" She blurts out.

"You won't." He assures her. "You won't. I promise. I promise." He hugs her tighter. "Everything's gonna be okay. I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

Tony frowns. "Sonya." She glances up at him. "I know my track record with these kinds of things isn't great."

"It's quite deplorable."

"Trust me, I realize that. But this is a promise I fully intend to keep."

"Really?"

"Really."

* * *

 **A/N: Parental!Tony will be the death of me, you guys.**


	8. Chapter 8

**WARNING!  
THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME DARKER THEMES!  
PLEASE USE DISCRETION!  
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS: VIOLENCE AND GORE, TORTURE, and SELF-HARM**

 **Chapter Eight  
In Which That Which is Hidden Is Revealed**

No one really knows what to do with Sonya's sudden displays of affection. In fact, Thor nearly falls over in shock when he stumbles upon Tony and Sonya. The latter has fallen asleep with her cheek on his shoulder. Tony glares at him as he struggles mightily trying to lift Sonya's dead weight.

"You could at least lend a hand, Point Break."

Thor blinks a little, and lifts the girl with ease. "My sincerest apologies, Anthony. I am simply unused to seeing you display affection towards anyone other than Pepper." He frowns. "Actually, that's quite rare, as well."

"Gee, thanks." Tony says with extreme sarcasm.

"I am confused." Wanda walks in the room, staring at the strange group. Sonya's eyes fly open at the sound of her voice. Scrambling out of Thor's arms, she flings herself at the other girl.

"Is something wrong?" Wanda says. "Sonya, is something wrong?"

The other girl shakes her head. "No. No. Everything's okay. It was just a bad dream."

Tony frowns. "You dreamt you killed most of us, Doc. That's a bit more than a _just_ a nightmare."

"Damn." Pietro pops in just then, and wraps his arms around his sister and Sonya. "It's time for a super hug!"

* * *

Sonya spends the day on the couch, jumping up and hugging every person that enters the room. Peter gets extremely flustered when she captures him.

"What? Sonya?"

"You're now my honorary little brother."

"I'M TALLER THAN YOU!"

"SHUT UP AND LET ME HUG YOU, DAMMIT!"

* * *

 _Vox smirks at Sonya. "I'm impressed. You beat me back."_

" _I'm not listening to you. Never again!"_

" _You're stronger than I anticipated."_

" _GET OUT!"_

* * *

Sonya wakes up in darkness. She feels at blindfold over her eyes. She's flat on her back, strapped down, unable to move.

The cloth over her eyes is ripped away, and she blinks in the fluorescent lights shining down on her.

"It's good to meet you in the flesh, Sonechka." Vox steps into Sonya's field of vision, smirking.

"You."

"Me."

"What do you want?! Where am I?!"

"Somewhere you won't be found easily."

"Lovely."

* * *

Pietro nearly falls out of his chair. The TV screen, which should be displaying a football game, shows Sonya and some other lady in a white room. Sonya is strapped to a chair, wires all over her body. The speedster stares.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. Where's Sonya?"

"Miss King is in her room."

"Really?" He jumps up and careens out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Wanda calls after him.

"Turn on the TV." He yells.

Sonya's bedroom is empty. Pietro punches the nearest wall. "DAMMIT!"

* * *

"Sooo… why am I here?" Sonya asks.

"Vincent wants to see you."

"Who?"

"My boss."

A tall, blonde woman sweeps in to the room, smiling down at Sonya.

"It's lovely to meet you, Sonya!" She trills. "I'm Vincent."

"That's a guy's name." Sonya blurts. The other woman lets out a high-pitched giggle.

"Vincent is my last name, hon. My first name is Astoria!"

"Oh. What do you want? Also, what's with the cameras?"

"The cameras are transmitting directly to the Avengers Tower. I want your friends to watch as I tear you apart."

* * *

The friends in question are glued to the TV set.

Tony's fiddling with his computer. "Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!" He yells. "They took off all her tracking devices!"

* * *

"I thought you wanted my brain." Sonya says conversationally, watching as the other two women bustle around her. "I won't be much use if I'm dead." She's calm on the outside, but on the inside, she's going crazy.

"Oh, we won't kill you!" Astoria giggles. "We won't even touch you!"

"Uhm… then how do you think this is going to work?"

"I have many minions who will do anything for me."

* * *

"Keep asking questions, Sonya." Steve mumbles. "Get all the information you can."

* * *

"Are you Hydra?"

"Hydra?! Of course not! They are nothing compared to me!" Astoria grins. "Although, their name was quite ingenious. You know the legend of the Hydra?"

"Of course." Sonya scoffs. "It was the child of Echnida and Typhon. It had seven heads, but every time a head was cut off, two more appeared in its place. Hercules killed it, as part as of his seven tasks."

"Exactly. The hydra had a weakness."

"Most things do."

"Not death."

"Huh?"

"We are called Shinigami." Astoria tells Sonya. "It's Japanese for –!"

"God of Death." Sonya interrupts. "I know."

"You're very smart."

"I know."

"Well, on with the program! Vox, bring in the first volunteer!"

Sonya's eyes widen as the brunette escorts as young man through the door. He bows to Astoria. "I am here to serve you, milady." He says in a flat voice.

Astoria smiles and hands him a knife. "Alfred, as you can see, we have finally brought in the Target."

"The Woman who can feel other people's pain." He says with awe.

"Yes, and now we must break her. Of course, we can't harm her, for fear of damaging her value. We must use her power against her, Alfred."

The young man nods. "I exist to serve you!" He brings the knife down, stabbing it in to his hand.

Sonya gasps as pain explodes in her hand. "You bastard." She hisses.

Astoria smiles. "It will be easy to break you."

Sonya can't reply. She grits her teeth as Alfred digs a chunk of flesh out of his arm. Pretty soon, there's nothing but pain, for a long, long time.

She wakes up, aching all over. Astoria smiles down at her. "Your strength is impressive, Sonya."

The healer can't answer, her mouth is coated with blood. _'I must have bitten through my tongue.'_ The blonde woman taps Sonya's palms.

"You really did a number on yourself."

Sonya lets out a gasp as pain shoots around her hand. She fingers cresent-shaped cuts from digging her nails into her palms.

"I'm going to have to up my game."

* * *

"I brought a friend." Astoria says. Sonya scowls, her eyes tightly closed.

"I don't care."

"Really? He's a good friend of yours. It was difficult to catch him, though. He's very fast."

That catches her attention. Sonya's eyes snap open. Pietro's unconscious, strapped in a chair facing her. "No." She says shakily. "You're lying. That's not him. That's not Pietro."

"Sorry to burst your bubble." Astoria drags her nails down his chest. "He came all too willingly when we promised to take him to you. The fool."

Sonya stiffens. That sounds just like something he'd do.

The older woman smirks. "He's not bad-looking, either." Her hands flex, nails digging into his chest. "Maybe I'll keep him… If he survives."

"Get your hands off him!" Sonya hisses. Astoria chuckles.

"My, my! Maybe you do care for him!" She strolls to the door. "I'll leave you two to catch up." She loosens one Sonya's cuffs as she passes. "I do love a good sob story."

The healer doesn't even wait until the older woman leaves the room, tearing her hand free as soon she feels the cuff loosen. She scrambles out of the chair, stumbling as feeling pours back into her legs. She tears the Velcro restraining Pietro, shaking his shoulder and yelling his name.

He comes awake reluctantly, clutching his head. Sonya slaps him, knocking him to the ground. "YOU IDIOT!" She shrieks. "WHAT WERE YOU _THINKING_?!"

"Uh…"

"That's right! YOU WEREN'T!"

She's still ranting when he scrambles to his feet and throws his arms around her. Sonya loses her balance, and they end up in a heap on the floor. "Why does this always happen?" She mumbles.

"Because you're a klutz." Pietro says, tightening his hug.

"Thanks." Sonya sighs, but she locks her arms around him, feeling safe for a long time in a while.

It doesn't last long at all, because Astoria and her henchmen barge in and tear them apart. Sonya is forced to watch as the hurt him, feeling his pain in her own body. She can't block out his screams, knowing full well he's trying to be strong, trying to bite them back for her sake.

" _Stop it! Stop!_ " She screams. _Why is it so much when she_ _ **knows**_ _Pietro's the one hurting?! Why? Why? WHY?!_

* * *

She wakes up in a different room, lying on cold, clammy stones. She sits up slowly.

"You okay?" Pietro asks.

"You idiot." She tells him, running her glowing hands over his wounds. "You're the one all beat up!"

"I'll be fine." He grits out, the pain in his face fading away as Sonya heals him. She sighs mightily, brushing silvery hair off his forehead. He smirks at her through her fingers. "I'll be fine." He repeats. "As long as you're here."

* * *

 **A/N: Help! Pietro and Sonya are gonna be the death of me! REVIEW PLEASE!**


	9. Chapter 9

**WARNING!  
THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME DARKER THEMES!  
PLEASE USE DISCRETION! **

**Chapter Nine  
In Which There's Some Light in the Darkness**

"Where's Pietro?" Wanda says. Clint winces, and he looks at Natasha. Wanda is becoming frantic. "Clint, where is Pietro? Where is my big brother?"

Natasha reaches out to put her hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "Wanda…"

"They took him." Clint blurts it out all at once.

Wanda's eyes widen, and she steps back, slowly shaking her head. "What? No… How?" Red energy is flaring and sparking around her. "No. No, he said he'd come back!"

"They came from everywhere." Clint says. "We couldn't do anything. They told him they'd let us go if he came with them. They said they'd take him to Sonya."

Wanda is still shaking, the lights in the tower flicker, the other's wincing as pain shoots through their heads. "No. No, no, no." She slumps to the ground, face in her hands, everyone dives for cover as blood red energy explodes from her.

Wanda doesn't even notice. She's reaching out with her mind, searching for him, trying to find her brother. She can't feel his mind. She can't feel his mind! This is wrong, it's so _wrong_! He should be here, next to her! What will she do without him? She can't lose him! Not after the scare with Ultron! Where is he?! _Where is he?! WHERE IS HE?!_

"Miss Wanda." The Vision's calm voice breaks through the cacophony in her mind. Suddenly, she's aware of her surroundings, she's on her hands and knees, her friends are taking shelter, hiding, from _her_! This is even worse.

She leaps to her feet and careens out of the room. _'No. No, no, no!'_ She screams in her mind. _"No! Pietro, NO!'_

* * *

It becomes a routine. A terrible, painful routine. Sonya feels herself getting closer and closer to breaking the more they hurt Pietro. It just gets worse.

"This sucks." Pietro says one day, perfectly summing up everything in those two words. He's staring at the ceiling, counting bricks or something, Sonya isn't sure.

"Yeah, but at least we aren't alone." She replies.

"You're really grasping at straws here." He tells her.

"I know."

But she's not completely wrong. They both know, despite how they try to deny it, that they'd probably go crazy without each other. They learn things about each other, too.

"Wanda's all I really have left." Pietro tells her. "For a long time, it was just the two of us against the world. I don't think either of us would be here without the other."

"Well, you certainly wouldn't be trapped in a cell."

"I'm not so sure about that." There's an awkward silence after that statement. Pietro lets out an awkward chuckle. "Well, anyway… What's your favorite book?"

Sonya stares at him for a moment. "Huh?"

"I'm trying to lighten the mood."

"Oh!" She nods, then grins. "You asked me about books."

"Yeah, so?"

"Nobody asks me about books!" Her grin turns in to a momentary frown. "Granted, asking such a question is actually quite perilous."

Pietro snorts. "Why do you even talk like that?! Who says 'perilous' anymore?"

Sonya sniffs, giving him a haughty look. "Intelligent people."

"No, weird people."

"I'm eccentric, thank you very much. Idiosyncratic, if you will. Not weird."

He reaches out and pats her head. "Keep telling yourself that.

* * *

"Miss Wanda?" Wanda doesn't react, she's curled in a corner of her room, her arms on her knees, head buried in her arms. Vision shifts a little uncomfortably in the doorway. "May I come in?"

"Yeah." It's muffled, but audible. He moves over and sits down next to her.

"I am sorry. About your brother."

Wanda's head flies up, all of a sudden, and she throws herself into his arms.

"Uhm… Miss Wanda."

"It's called a hug, and just call me Wanda."

The android nods a little, and hugs her back.

* * *

"I was serious, you know." Pietro says the next day, when Sonya's running her hands over a bad bruise on his chest.

"About what?" She doesn't even look up, wholly focused on her task, a corner of her tongue peeking out between her lips. "This goes pretty deep."

"About wanting to know your favorite book."

"Oh. I see." She moves her hands to his ribs, scooting his arm out of the way. "Take a deep breath."

He does so, and they wince in unison as pain jets through him.

"You have at least one broken rib." She's biting her lip now, face screwed up.

"Hey, you okay?"

Sonya blinks a couple times, glancing up at him. "What? Yeah, I'm fine." She turns her attention back to his aching ribs, poking them gently. "I was wrong, you have _two_ broken ribs." Her hands begin glowing, and her runs her middle and forefinger along the curve of the bone, letting out a breath in unison with her powers. Pietro relaxes as the pain fades.  
" _Howl's Moving Castle_." She says when she's finished.

"Huh?"

"You asked what my favorite book was. It's _Howl's Moving Castle_." Sonya squints at the crescent shaped scars in his palms. These were self-inflicted. She doesn't have to watch all the torturing to know. They're from Pietro digging his fingernails in to his hands in an attempt to draw his mind off the pain. She blinks, hard, feeling tears prickle her eyes.

"Isn't that a movie?"

"It was a book, first. Written by Diana Wynne Jones. It's about a young girl named Sophie who is cursed to become old, courtesy of the Witch of the Waste. So, she goes on a trip to seek her fortune. Sort of. She actually forces herself on the Wizard Howl as his cleaning lady because she makes a deal with Howl's fire demon Calcifer. The story is about her adventures with Howl and Calcifer, and Michael, Howl's apprentice." Her fingers are gently stroking over his palms, the cuts closing up.

"Do you like the movie or the book better?" Pietro asks.

"Well, the book and the movie are actually very different, so I can safely say that I like them both equally, but for different reasons. Of course, I may be a tad biased towards the book." Her voice cracks just then, and Pietro notices the tears on her cheek.

"Sonya?" he reaches out with his free hand, this one as beat up as the other, and puts his palm on her cheek. He immediately jerks away as one of the tears drips on to his hand, glowing, as it sinks into his skin. Seconds later, the cuts are gone. "I didn't know you could do that." He blurts.

She peers at his hand, and she's smiling a little through her tears. "Me either!" She sobs and presses her forehead against his knuckles. "Me either."

* * *

Things at the tower are solemn.

"We should have never let him go out with us." Clint says. "We should have _known_ he'd go off and try to do something heroic."

"He would have gone anyway." Wanda replies.

"You can't get a sense of either of them?"

"No. It's like they're hidden from me."

"Keep trying."

"Can't you see that I am?!"

* * *

It's always a relief to Sonya and Pietro when the guards shove them in the cell, and they're left alone. It was worse today, though. They just lie there for a moment, both racked with pain. Sonya clenches her fists and stares up at the ceiling, and counts to ten, shoving the pain away with each number. By ten, it's faded to just a faint ache. She sits up then, and scoots closer to Pietro. He's unconscious, lying on his face. She gently turns him over, her hand flying to her mouth at the state of his face. They hadn't touched his head or neck before, but they've seemed to have moved on.

Sonya hates it, but she's starting to see a pattern. Astoria was trying to figure out how the pain translated itself in to Sonya, by investigating it part by part. Yesterday was the chest and stomach, the day before that, the arms, and so on.

"Damn you, Astoria." She mumbles, brushing Pietro's silvery hair off his forehead. His nose twitches a little, and she grins. Her fingers trail down his face, and she impulsively leans forward and presses a kiss to his forehead. The spot where her lips touched glows when she pulls back, and the wounds on his face fade away.

Pietro gasps and sits up, shooting Sonya a quizzical look. She's leaning close to him, eyes wondering. "What's up?"

"I found another way to heal."

"What? Again? What is it?"

She flips over his hand and kisses his palm.

* * *

Tony careens up from his lab, letting out a cackle that seems wrong in the oppressive quiet in the Tower. "I have it!"

"Have what?"

"A way to find Sonya and Pietro!"

* * *

"I don't think what we're doing to your friend is effecting you anymore, Sonya." Astoria muses. "Also, I wonder how your powers react in a psychologically stressful situation."

Sonya eyes her warily. "What are you going to do?"

"I think…" The blonde taps her chin with one manicured finger. "I think… We're going to make you watch this time."

Sonya stiffens, her eyes widening. "No…"

Astoria smiles. "What? You don't want to watch what you're doing to him? Like if you can't see it, it'll all go away?"

"No! No, no, no!"

"Too bad!"

Sonya is lead to a glass window. She looks through in horror. Pietro is strapped to a chair, shirtless, a group of Astoria's minions crowding around him like a horde of vultures. She doesn't try to pull away as Vox attaches the scanner to her head.

"You may begin." Astoria says. Pietro glances towards the window, and his eyes widen in horror. Sonya suddenly realizes he can see her just as clearly as she can see him, and somehow, the horror suddenly increases.

* * *

Sonya doesn't want to watch, she tries to look away, tries to shut her eyes, but Vox lets out a snicker. "You can't even watch? This is your fault."

And Sonya knows she _has_ to watch, because she can't turn away from him. It's not fair, it's not fair!

But Pietro's looking at her pleadingly. _'Look away!'_ He begs her mentally. _'Please don't' force yourself to watch this! Please, Sonya, please! Don't do this. Don't do this!'_ She seems to see his desperation in his face, and shakes her head. _No._

' _She can't look away, not this time, because she thinks it's her fault, she blames herself!'_ He realizes all at once. _"Oh, no! Sonya, no! It's not your fault!'_ He's screaming out loud, because it hurts, everything, so much, and he can hear, over the ringing in his ears, Sonya screaming, too.

* * *

"Stop it!" Sonya shrieks, begging. "Stop! Please! Don't hurt him!" She's screaming and crying, because Pietro's hurting, and tears are leaking out of his eyes, and she hurts! So much! "Stop it! Stop it! No! No, no, no, no!" She repeats that word over and over, falling to her knees. "Pietro! No! NO! Stop it! Stop hurting him! Please!"

The two of them fall unconscious at the same time, the darkness embracing them like an old friend.

* * *

Sonya comes awake all at once, whimpering and shaking, still hiccupping from crying. She sits up and crawls over to Pietro, he's curled in the fetal position, bruised and bleeding, and for one horrible, terrible minute, she can't feel him. She can't tell if he's alive.

Then he gasps and straightens out, flicking his eyes towards her. Sonya throws herself on him, despite the pain wracking both their bodies. She slams her mouth against his, and Pietro nearly falls over at the shock, because, _Holy SHIT!_ Sonya is _kissing_ him!

They're suddenly surrounded in a purple glow, and Pietro sighs as warmth flows through his body down from his lips to the top of his head to the very tips of his toes. It's a healing warmth, the one he's learned to associate with Sonya's powers, and the pain vanishes all at once.

Sonya pulls back, blushing, but Pietro tugs her back towards him, kissing her back. And, _Oh, man_! He hadn't realized how much he wanted to do this before. Warmth is swirling through him, even though Sonya isn't actively healing him. He figures it's coming from her, because when he tilts his head and runs his tongue against her lips, the warmth swirls faster and settles in his belly like butterflies.

"What brought this on?" He murmurs when they pull apart to breathe.

"I'm just glad you aren't dead." She mumbles.

"Was there a moment of doubt?" He asks, concerned.

Sonya chokes out a laugh, and Pietro wipes a tear off her cheek. "This is all my fault." She blurts out.

"No, It's not." He tells her.

"It is! You're here because of _me_! You're hurting, and it's all my fault! I'm sorry! Pietro, I'm so sor-!"

He doesn't let her finish, and kisses her again. "Shut up." He growls when she's adequately hushed. "Don't you dare say that. I don't blame you, this was my choice, and we're gonna get thorough this together, understand?"

"Pietro…"

"Understand?" He's practically glaring at her, and she gives him a watery smile.

"Okay. I understand."

* * *

The rest of the Avengers pull to a stop outside a clean, official looking building. "This is it?" Steve asks.

Tony nods. "Yeah. Sonya and Pietro are in there."

Steve glances back at the others, they're all so ready to fight, and honestly, he can't wait do pummel whoever took Sonya and Pietro. Thor even showed up for this event.

The god of thunder shoots Steve a terrifying grin. "Come, comrades-in-arms, let us engage this enemy! To arms!"

* * *

"No! NO!" Sonya shakes him. "PIETRO!" _What did they do to him! What have they done? Why isn't he breathing! He isn't breathing!_ "PIETRO!"

"You overdid it!" Astoria screams to her henchmen.

Sonya doesn't even react. She keeps shaking him. "No. No, no, NO! Pietro! Pietro, please!" She bangs on his chest, sending bolts of energy in to his heart. "Wake up! Wake up!" His heart shudders, and it's beating again. Sonya whimpers with relief, tipping his chin back, shaking her hair out of her face, blowing air into his lungs.

"C'mon. C'mon." _Wake up Pietro. Wake up! You can't die! You said we were gonna get through this together!_

Commotion whirls around her. She doesn't register the panicked yells. "It's the Avengers!" Someone shrieks.

"We're doomed!"

Astoria's screaming for order, and someone tries to drag Sonya and Pietro apart, but the purple-haired girl throws up a shield around them. Pietro starts breathing on his own just then, coughing and gasping. He awakens, frowning at her tears, and she clings to him when Tony and Steve burst through the dust.

* * *

 **A/N: SUCH ROMANCE! So much Pietro/Sonya! Also, I couldn't resist a little Scarlet Vision, because, why not? Also, longest chapter yet! FYI: I'm planning on a chapter-a-week update** **schedule, but I'm putting this up early because I'm gonna be gone this weekend! Enjoy!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW FOR THIS POOR STARVED AUTHOR!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten  
In Which A Cult is Born**

Pietro wakes up to his sister hugging the life out of him. They don't say anything, out loud, that is. Wanda berates him for his foolishness, but doesn't let him wiggle out of her hug. He hugs her back, apologizing for worrying her.

"Sonya's okay." She tells him. "Just tired. You can't go see her though. You're still recovering."

"But –!"

"I'll send her your way when she wakes up." Wanda sighs. "Don't worry."

* * *

Pietro's asleep again when Sonya's finally able to go see him. She leans over him, tentatively poking his forehead. Yep. He's definitely real.

He sits up suddenly, and they clonk heads. Again. Pietro falls back, groaning, as Sonya flops over his legs.

"OW!" But their noises of pain give way to laughter. It feels good to laugh.

Pietro slides his hand behind Sonya's neck and pulls her down, pressing his lips to hers. She smiles against his lips and hugs him tightly.

It's perfect, and she's safe, and she's happy.

* * *

At least until night comes.

Sonya sits up with a gasp, trying block out the images in her mind, of Pietro, broken and bloody. She's shuddering, hand clamped over her mouth. She isn't sure what makes her do it, but barely seconds later, she's padding down the hallway. She doesn't know where she's going, not at first, until she feels a wave of fear wash over her.

"Pietro." She whispers, breaking into a run.

He's tossing around when Sonya arrives, face screwed up with fear. He's mumbling her name. She shakes his shoulder.

"Pietro! Wake up! It's just a nightmare!" He comes awake with a strangled scream. Sonya clambers up next to him, rubbing his back as he slumps forward.

"I guess it was too much to hope for, that everything would just go away." She says with a weak chuckle, running a hand through her hair. Pietro turns his head to peek at her. He doesn't like the look on her face, the hollowness in her gray eyes is just so inexplicably _wrong_ , and it hurts to see. He slings his arm around her shoulders.

"Hey, it's not that bad! Things are really looking up!"

She doesn't reply, just clenches her fists. "When I was really little, I started getting these really bad nightmares. I'd be too scared to even _try_ to fall asleep, and I'd stay up all night. And the more tired I was, the worse they'd get. I think I was maybe 9 when I figured out that I couldn't block out the pain when I was sleeping. That was also around the time I started feeling emotions, too. I was too scared to leave my room, but at the same time, I was too scared to stay." Sonya lets out a hollow laugh. "I was in the car with my mom when the crash happened. That was the first time I felt someone die. It's worse when you know the person, the pain. The better you know them, the more you feel. Not to mention I was pretty beat up myself." She lifts the hem of her shirt, displaying a wide, jagged scar that twisted around from her belly button to her mid-back. "The car door bent. They said I should've died." She seems intent on continuing, but Pietro claps his hand over her mouth.

"You don't need to think of these things right now."

"I can't just _forget_ them!"

"I know, and you shouldn't have to, but you don't have to think of it all the time. It's okay to think of the good times, too."

Sonya is quiet for a moment, staring at him, before her face crumples and she lets out a giggle. "The irony of this situation." She says, "I'm the licensed psychiatrist, here. I'm supposed to be the one saying these things, not the superhuman with PTSD." She laughs harder, her whole body shaking. "I came here because you were scared. Because you were the one who needed help, but really, I'm the one coming apart. This is so backward. Everything's just messed up." She slumps against him, sobbing now.

"Hey." He says. "Remember, we're gonna get through this together."

They fall asleep like that, curled around each other.

* * *

Sonya's gone when Pietro wakes up. He thinks it's a dream for a while, until Sonya gives his hand a little squeeze when she hands him a coffee mug. "Thanks. For earlier." She's smiling, and a little of the hollowness is gone from her eyes.

Pietro flashes a grin back, the tips of his ears heating up.

"You _like_ her!" Wanda exclaims, face lighting up like she's just discovered something amazing. "I was _wondering_!"

Pietro glares, but his sister rambles on, all smiles. "Aw, that is _adorable_! My brother and my best friend! I approve!"

"Shut up, Wanda!" He grumbles, his ears bright red. She giggles and pokes his cheek.

"Aw, you're so cute! You gotta tell Sonya she is pretty. Everyday. She likes that. Make sure you do! And be nice to her, and pick her up for every date, and be polite to her parents…" Wanda's full on teasing now.

"Wanda." Pietro mumbles, putting his hand on her forehead and pushing her an arms length away. "Sonya doesn't _have_ parents."

"Yeah, yeah, buy her flowers! Don't tell her you love her, not right away at least! Be a gentleman! Use pro-!"

Pietro turns on his heel. "I'm leaving."

"NEVER LEAVE HER!" Wanda shrieks after him, but he's already gone, and she's left alone in the kitchen, cackling like a madwoman.

* * *

Pietro is very flustered, so he goes to hide in the library (Which is really just an old lab Sonya commandeered and filled with bookshelves and beanbag chairs and fluffy blankets. It's become her pet project.). Except, Sonya's there, and she turns and gives him a quizzical look.

"Are you feeling alright?" She asks, concernedly. "Your face is very red."

"Sisters." Is all he says in reply. He snatches the book she's inspecting.

"HEY!" She splutters angrily. "Give that back!"

He just holds it out of her reach. "This is the book you were telling me about? _Howl's Moving Castle_?"

"You remembered?" She stops hopping around him and reaching for the book.

"Of course." He raises an eyebrow and smirks at her. "What? You didn't see that coming?"

Sonya puts her hands to her cheeks. "Nobody has ever really bothered to remember my favorite book before."

"Really?"

"I don't talk about myself much."

"Yeah?" Pietro takes a closer look at the book. It's not very big, maybe about an inch or so thick. It's a little frayed around the edges. On the cover is a whimsical watercolor painting of a tiny old woman waving a walking stick at a black castle with four stone legs. It's bright and colorful, and very obviously not a sad book. He decides he likes it. Sonya's name is scribbled on the inside cover in neat, delicate handwriting which is very clearly not her own. There's a date under the name, May 4th, 2007, and then a note that reads, "Happy 10th Birthday, Sonechka!".

"I had it in my backpack when the fire happened." Sonya says, running a finger along the worn spine. "I got it from my mom on my tenth birthday."

"Your mother wrote the note?" Pietro inquires as he hands it back to her.

Sonya nods. "Yeah."

"You've had it for 9 years?"

Sonya nods. "It's my most treasured possession." She grins as she says that, making it into a joke, but she's not kidding, not at all.

"I'll have to find out why you like the story so much." He muses.

She looks down at the book in her hands, then says, "Would you like to borrow my copy?"

He stares at her then. "I can't do that! It's your favorite book!"

"And that's the thing about books, you see." She says. "They're _meant_ to be shared." She places it in his hands. "Just be careful, and don't dog-ear the pages. I've killed men for less."

* * *

Pietro quickly figures out why Sonya loves _Howl's Moving Castle_ so much. It's a sweet, whimsical, down to earth sort of story, with just enough humor and adventure to calm you down right away. The characters are diverse, and deep, and the storytelling is fantastic. The speedster was never much of a reader, but this book keeps him up late at night.

He finishes it the next day, and gives it back to Sonya. "I liked it." He tells her.

"Who was your favorite character?" She grins eagerly, carefully placing the novel on her dresser.

"Calcifer." Pietro replies immediately. "He's really funny."

"Howl was always my favorite. I was in love with him as a kid."

"You had a crush on a fictional character?!" the speedster blurts out, grinning. Sonya blushes a little.

"I'll have you know, that Howl Pendragon is a very dashing man. The real question is, why _wouldn't_ I have a crush on him!"

"Yeah, but he's kind of a bastard."

"A very dashing bastard!" She flips her hair. "Besides, he's also charming and intelligent, and funny!"

"Yeah, but he exploits people."

"I was _ten_."

They chuckle for a bit, then sit it silence. "There's a second book, you know."

"There is?!"

Sonya grins at Pietro's enthusiasm. "Diana Wynne Jones wrote plenty of books! Not all about Howl, though. I actually own most of her books."

"Is that what you've been mooching off Tony this whole time?" He deadpans.

"Absolutely. I use his money to buy books, Tony turns a blind eye. It's a very lovely relationship we have." She giggles and drags Pietro over to her bookshelves. She browses for a bit, before pulling out two books around the same size as _Howl's Moving Castle_. They are decorated in the same style as the aforementioned novel, with bright water-color paintings on the cover. One has a girl peering through a doorway in to a meadow, and is titled _House of Many Ways_. The other shows a great castle of clouds, and a man on a magic carpet flying towards it, titled _Castle in the Air_.

" _Castle in the Air_ is the second, then _House of Many Ways_." Sonya says.

"Cool."

* * *

The two of them spend the day reading, occasionally joined by one of their friends.

"What are you reading?" Pietro asks Sonya. The healer is very focused on her own book.

"Homer's _Odyssey_." She replies. "I've just finished the _Iliad_."

"Aren't those the sort of books you read in school?"

"Yeah? So?"

"Aren't they boring?"

"No." She shows him a page. "They're written in verse, so they're a bit more challenging. For most people."

"Wow. That's really pompous of you."

"It's not pompous if it's true."

There's silence again for a while.

"What are you too doing?" Natasha asks, peering in the door.

"Recuperating." Sonya replies smugly. "By the way, I got that book I recommended to you. You can have it now if you'd like."

"Oh! Please!"

Sonya smiles and digs a small blue paperback out of the depths of her blanket. It's titled _Persuasion_. "This one's my favorite. By far."

Nat gives an uncharacteristic squeak of joy and plops down in a beanbag chair. "Yay!"

* * *

Sam is next on the scene, raising his eyebrows at the sight of his friends, who all look ridiculously comfortable.

"Come read with us, Sam." Sonya commands, waving her hand at him. "There are plenty of beanbags."

The Falcon sighs, laughs, and flops down, snatching down the fifth Harry Potter book.

Wanda shows up next, with the fourth, then Steve with _Tom Sawyer_ , then Bucky, with the _Hobbit_ , even Vision arrives, with a book of Greek myths.

Clint arrives with something by Vince Flynn, then Bruce with the _Great Gatsby_. Rhodey and Scott bicker over _The Call of the Wild_ , until Sonya throws _White Fang_ them. Peter's already buried in _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ , and Pepper appears to be reading _On The Banks of Plum Creek_.

"What is this?" Thor booms, arriving out of nowhere.

"Reading." Sonya says.

"Oh? I have never experienced your midgardian tales!" Everyone hushes him aggressively. "Sorry." He booms, a little quieter, this time. Sonya smiles at him, then drags the God over to a shelf, handing him _The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe_.

"This is a pretty famous book." She tells him. "I learned to read from this book. It's about the defeat of an evil witch by four siblings, and how they became mighty kings and queens. I think you'll like it."

The small book looks next to ridiculous in Thor's huge hands, but he grins widely. "I believe I shall enjoy such an epic tale!" He's shushed again, so he bends down a bit. "My thanks, Sofiya."

She grins at him.

* * *

It's quiet for a long time, the silence only broken by a turning page, or a whispered line from Sonya, or a soft chuckle from Pietro.

It's broken by a loud commotion upstairs. "Tony's home." Pepper giggles.

"Nobody tell him where we are." Sonya says. "He must join the reading circle!"

"You make it sound like a cult." Peter says.

"It's Harry Potter." Sam says. "It _is_ a cult."

"Your Midgardian tales are fascinating!" Thor booms. "This Professor is quite the mysterious character, and Lucy is a valiant lady!"

Sonya giggles. "Lucy is valiant? Funny you should say that!"

"Oh? Is there information that I have missed?"

"You'll figure it out."

* * *

"I come home after a long day of dealing with government officials, and see you all ridiculously comfortable!" Tony protests. " _READING!_ "

"Calm down and get a book." Pepper says, not even looking up at him.

"Yeah." Peter says. "Read a Harry Potter! Join the Cult!" He high-fives Wanda and Sam.

"I dislike mainstream." Tony sniffs.

"You obviously dislike joy, as well." Sonya says. "Anyhow, third bookshelf, top shelf, there's a book I think you'll like. By Neil Gaimen."

" _Good Omens_?" The billionaire inquires.

"It's good. You'll like it, trust me."

"Yeah, but what if I don't?"

"You'll like it."

* * *

 **A/N: This started out as a lovely hurt/comfort chapter, and ended up as an elaborate book campaign. I am sorry. But you should totally read all of the mentioned books, because you're missing out if you haven't.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven  
Homunculus**

"Shinigami is still a threat." Steve says it solemnly, eyes flicking over his team, stopping on Sonya and Pietro. The two are nestled on the couch next to Wanda, the healer fiddling with a strand of purple hair, and the speedster tapping his right foot at a nearly blinding speed. Other than that, they don't appear to be outwardly effected. "Our attack to retrieve Sonya and Pietro was a heavy blow, but they aren't handicapped yet. Later, we'll be going on a mission to take down another one of their bases."

Sonya sucks in a breath at that, her fingers tightening around the braid she was putting in her hair. Her gray eyes widen, and she bites her lip. Beside her, Pietro hunches his shoulders ever so slightly.

"We aren't going until Wednesday." Steve assures the two of them. "And you guys don't have to come."

Sonya shakes her head. "No. I'll be there. Staying behind isn't right when there are people who depend on your skills."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure."

But she gets increasingly agitated as the days pass, her hands almost constantly twisting through her hair. "It's called stimming." She tells Steve. "It has to do with my Autism. It keeps me calm and collected."

* * *

In the quinjet, she sits farthest from the door, tugging at her bangs. Pietro plops down next to her and takes her free hand. "Hey, it'll be okay." He says. "There probably won't be anyone there."

Sonya takes a deep breath, squeezing his hand. "Yeah, you're right."

* * *

"I can't sense any living thing within the immediate vicinity." Wanda says, "But be careful, guys." As soon as she says that, a strange, almost humanoid creature bursts out of the trees. Sonya would even go so far to call it a human, if not for the fangs in its mouth and the claws on its fingers. Nat fells it with a bullet through the head. Sonya jumps back, nearly colliding with Pietro when it collapses at her feet.

"That's so _wrong_." She murmurs, as black blood seeps out of the wound in its head.

"I thought there wasn't anything living in the vicinity." Steve says, glancing at Wanda. She shakes her head, mystified.

"There _isn't_. What ever that was, it wasn't living."

"It's not a robot or anything." Nat says, bending down next to it. "It's definitely organic."

"Heads up!" Clint yells. "We can talk about this later. We've got company!" Dozens more of the humanoid creatures burst out of the trees. Steve knocks one down, his shield nearly slicing off a leg, but it just struggles upright again.

"What the hell?"

Sonya is backpedaling away from the things, her eyes wide. "Homunculi." She whispers, when she bumps in to Clint. He peers at her.

"Hom-what?"

"Homunculi. Artificially made people."

"Fake people?"

"Not really?" Sonya says it like she isn't sure. "I can't feel anything from them. They're completely blank."

"Then we shouldn't have any qualms about killing them." Nat says.

"That's not the point."

"Then what _is_ the point?"

"They're just… _wrong_! Completely disordered. They shouldn't _exist_!"

"Yes, what marvelous things you can do with just a few strands of DNA and modern science." A woman's voice comes from the building in front of them.

Sonya and Pietro freeze.

"It's good to see you again, Sonya, Pietro." Astoria wades through the ranks of homunculi, who stop moving at a wave of her hand. "You two were quite a treasure trove. The next step in evolution, the missing link, everything we needed to continue our experiments. So, thank you."

"These are the people you kidnapped." Sonya blurts.

"Of course. These are the successes. It's still a dangerous and difficult process, regrowing someone's entire DNA to your liking. We're working on engineering our own specimens. Test-tube babies, you know, with DNA grafted from all sorts of creatures. Of course, DNA like yours is the most desired."

Sonya shakes her head. "How _could_ you?! These were people!" Her face is absolutely horrified. "They are _nothing_! You've utterly destroyed them!"

"All for the advance of science, my dear. For power and money and fame." Astoria drawls. "I dare say your friend Tony knows this well."

"That's not a part of my life anymore." Tony snarls. "That's no longer who I am."

"What? You gave up the power you had in your grasp! And you, Doctor Banner. Would you have denied the opportunity to take the next step in evolution, if it had arisen? Don't tell me you haven't though of it."

Bruce steps back, away from her, biting his lip.

* * *

"It's just so _wrong_." Sonya insists, tugging at her hair. "How could someone do that? Destroy someone's entire identity for their own gain?" She's staring at the wall, gray eyes haunted. "I can't even wrap my mind around it."

"You are far too naïve." Bucky say. "The world is a cruel place."

"Oh, I know. Believe me, I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." She clenches her fists. "I can't accept what these people have done. And the worst part? I can't fix it. I can't _do_ anything!"

Pietro smooths his hand over her hair. "Hey, it's okay." He mumbles. Sonya shakes him off.

"It's _not_!" She leaves the room hurriedly.

* * *

The next raid finds Sonya struggling to hold off the homunculi, unwilling to go so far as to kill any living thing.

"Can't you set your morals aside long enough to save your life?!" Clint yells.

She shakes her head. "They wouldn't be morals, then."

Pietro nearly falls over from laughing. "She got you there, old man."

"Don't call me old."

The speedster cackles and zips past him. Clint sighs thunderously. "That boy will be the death of me."

"When you say things like that, you _do_ sound old." Sonya says bluntly. Clint frowns.

"Aren't you supposed to by the nice one?"

"I'm just telling the truth!" Sonya whirls around and knocks several homunculi flying with well-aimed whacks with her force-field. Pietro skids to a stop next to her, smiling.

"That was lovely."

"Why, thank you." She winces as Clint takes a clawed hand to his upper arm. She claps her hand over the wound, humming a little as the pain fades. "There."

"Thanks."

"Steve wants you to check something out." Pietro says.

"What?"

"I… I don't really know." His eyes widen with concern when Sonya stumbles and clings to his hand. "What's the matter?"

She bites her lip, face screwed up. "Someone's hurt. Bad."

Pietro nods and lifts her up bridal style. "Got it." He smirks at Clint. "Keep up, old man!" With that, he speeds away.

They find Nat bleeding badly from several gashes in her abdomen, her face stoic, despite the pain that Sonya can clearly feel.

"What happened?" She asks, concerned.

"It was a homunculi. I think. But it was bigger that the others. And less…" Natasha pauses and sucks in a breath when Sonya touches her wounds. "Less… human…"

The healer frowns. "How do you mean?"

"I… I don't know. It happened really fast."

"Not too fast for me, huh?" Pietro breaks in, peeking over Sonya's shoulder.

Natasha sighs, but smiles a little at him. "No, not too fast for you."

"Nothing is too fast for me."

"You're gonna jinx yourself with that attitude." Sonya sighs. They're interrupted by a loud clang, a shout of "HOLY SHIT!", a crash, and a "Dammit, Tony!"

Peter drops down from the ceiling. "Hey, Nat, your weird beast thing almost ate Bucky." He grins.

"That's not very funny." Sonya frowns.

"It is if it broke a tooth on his arm."

Pietro lets out a snort of laughter. "Dude, really?"

"Uh-huh! Mr. Stark knocked him through a wall in a panic."

"I always miss the best things!"

The two Peters scramble to see the sights, just as Clint comes panting up. "You guys move around too fast." He complains. "You okay, Nat?"

She nods.

"I may have found a secret lab!" Tony calls.

"Yeah, by throwing me into a _wall_!" Bucky yells. There's a loud crash of metal on metal.

"That sounded bad." Sonya says, taking off towards the commotion. She rounds a corner to find Bucky and Tony tied up, courtesy of Peter.

"They were fighting." The boy explains.

"An effective way to stop them." Sonya laughs. "I approve."

She's knocked over as Pietro slams into her. A massive beast of indeterminable species barrels past them, nearly trampling them. "Peter! Catch!" Pietro literally throws her at the younger boy, who catches her easily. The speedster barrels after the beast, knocking it over. Sonya gasps as she feels pain slice through his side.

"Peter! Help him!" She yells.

Spidey nods and sets her carefully in a doorway, making an attempt to stop the beast with a net made of webs. The nets may slow it, but it doesn't stop it, not even close. Bucky and Tony have wriggled their way out of their cocoons, Tony pulling Sonya to safety, and Bucky literally throwing himself on top of the thing. Peter gives chase, but Pietro's clutching at his ribs. "Go after them!" Sonya shrieks at Tony, catching Pietro as he stumbles into her arms. Ironman nods and flies off.

"You hit that thing really hard." The healer tells Pietro. "You have to be more careful."

"Meh," He shakes it off, smirking, "I will be fine."

"I think you busted up every single rib!" She snaps, running her hands over his side. He laughs, sliding down the wall to sit on the ground.

"I think I may have busted more than that!" He chokes a little, spitting out blood. "I may have hit a lung."

"IDIOT!" Sonya twists his ear, and then places her lips against his. Pietro lets out a grunt as her healing warmth pours into his body from her lips.

"Thanks." He sighs.

"Mhmm."

Sonya pulls Pietro to his feet, he grins at her. "Good as new!"

"You are incorrigible."

"Thank you."

She's grinning at him, when he tackles her to the ground. A second beast, this one less massive than the first, barrels by them, pursued by Steve, Thor, Wanda and Vision.

"How many of these things _are_ there?!" Sonya blurts as Pietro whisks her out of the way again.

"We should probably help." He says, still holding her bridal style.

"Yeah, definitely."

Tony and his crew have vanquished the first beast. Sonya and Pietro find them staring down at the body, which is stuck in an elevator shaft. "How did this happen?" Pietro asks, chuckling a little.

"Bucky." Peter explains, perched on a railing. "It was pretty impressive."

"Tinman did a fantastic job." Tony says, flipping up his facemask.

"Don't call me that." Bucky sighs. Tony ignores him.

"INCOMING!" Steve yells. Everyone turns and gapes at the second beast barreling towards them, taking up the entire corridor.

"Time to leave." Sonya quips, but Pietro's already gone.

They herd it on to a catwalk, high above the ground. "This is strangely familiar." Bucky mumbles. Steve raises an eyebrow.

"Seriously?"

"Maybe this one will rip off its face, too!" Bucky grins. "You still aren't able to do that, Steve?"

"No, that is weird and disturbing. I will not rip off my face, don't ever ask that again. Please and thank you."

"Uh, maybe you should get out of the way?!" Peter yells, jumping off the walkway as the beast nearly tramples him. The two super soldiers calmly jump backward over the railing.

They emerge from the darkness, carried by Sam and Rhodey. "I feel like I've spent the past several months catching Steve when he jumps off things." Sam sighs.

"This isn't my job." Rhodey insists.

"Yeah, but don't drop me." Bucky says.

"I won't catch you." Tony calls. "I don't like you."

"Oh no." Bucky replies with extreme sarcasm.

"Is anyone even paying attention anymore?!" Scott yells from his perch on Clint's shoulder.

"I am." Clint answers, nonchalantly firing an arrow. He and Nat seem to be handling the beast quite well. At least until he goes flying, and both he and Scott are nearly flattened by one massive paw.

"I saved Scott!" Peter says, holding the tiny man on his palm. Scott gives him a tiny fist bump.

"Thanks, Spiderkid!"

"Bug buddies!"

Wanda levitates Clint, stopping before he hits the ground. "Are you all right?"

"Never mind me! Why aren't we focusing on the huge-ass monster?"

Pietro grins. "I'm going to run into it again!"

"Don't." Sonya says. But he pays her no mind, colliding with the beast and throwing it over the edge. It crashes down on to the walkway three stories below, nearly taking Pietro with it. The speedster grabs on to one of the railings, just as the abandoned pack of homunculi pour on to the catwalk. He looks down, judging the distance, before letting go. Peter catches him, though, but they leave Sonya rather stranded. She makes a run for it, clattering down the rickety steps, the experiments hot on her trail. The others can't help her, because they're also engaged with fighting or catching someone when they jump off a catwalk. The first wave slams into her, bullying her right to the edge. Sonya looks over, eyes wide. She is not a fan of heights. She pays for the distraction, yelling in pain as one of the homunculi buries its teeth in her shoulder. The rusted guardrails shudder as Sonya fights the thing off her, nearly snapping under their combined weight. Her shoulder is pouring blood when she finally escapes. She jumps away, her back slamming into the already loosened rail, and it breaks…

And she falls…

* * *

 **A/N: CLIFFHANGER! Feel free to kill me. I am horrible. Also, this story will be ending within the next eight or so chapters!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve  
Skyfall**

 _She jumps away, her back slamming into the already loosened rail, and it breaks…_

 _And she falls…_

The world grinds to a halt when Pietro sees Sonya fall. He's trapped under a fallen girder, Nat trying to pull him free, and he can't do anything but watch. She slams into the lowest walkway with a sickening crunch, her body twisted and crumpled, and he screams.

"SONYA!"

He heaves the steel off his body with inhuman strength and is by her side in less than a second, sending homunculi and friend's alike flying.

Her face is pale, and blood is seeping from the back of her head, and he can feel everything crumbling down around him. "No. No, Sonya, please!" He can feel tears running down his cheeks, burning like fire. Wanda is hugging him, but he can only stare at Sonya's broken body. Bucky's eyes are dead again, and he rips through ten homunculi with his bare hands, Peter hides himself in a corner, staring, his brown eyes horrorstruck. Tony stumbles out of his suit, throwing himself down next to her, begging her to wake up.

"C'mon, doc." He pleads. "Sonya, open your eyes! Sonya, please!"

"What a tragedy." Astoria emerges from the gloom, and Steve rounds on her, shield at her throat.

"Bring her back." He snarls. "You've done it before, you can do it again! Bring her back!"

The woman smirks. "I can't bring back the dead. That is out of the realm of possibility."

"No." Wanda whispers, her powers flaring around her. "No, it's not." And blood-red energy flows into Sonya, lifting her off the ground, straightening limbs, healing bones, restarting her heart. The red turns to purple all of a sudden, and Sonya is lurching upright and gasping for air, clinging to Pietro.

He brushes her hair out of her face, staring. "Sonya?"

She stares back. "Pietro?"

He pulls her tight against him, pressing his lips against hers, his hands sliding down her body. Sonya curls one hand into his hair.

* * *

 _There is nothing. No pain, no color, no anything. She's floating, not completely gone yet, looking down on her body. She feels a mild regret at their sorrow, but it's not enough to prompt her to return. Why had she clung to life before? What was her reason? She can't remember, and honestly, she doesn't want to. Then red is blazing around her, grabbing her, bringing her back, and she twists away, trying to escape, but her heart is beating. She had forgotten what it felt like to breath. She still doesn't know who she is, not fully, but the man clinging to her knows. He whispers a name, Sonya, and she remembers who he is._ "Pietro?"

 _All of the confusion flies right out of her head when he places his lips on hers, because this was RIGHT. This is the reason she stayed._

* * *

"What was it like, being dead?" Peter blurts out, before blushing furiously and high tailing it out of the room. Sonya stares after him, mystified.

"What does he mean?" She asks, patting at her covers.

Pietro gives her a look. "You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"…Dying?"

"What?" She stares at him. "I… What?"

"You really don't remember…" He runs a hand through his hair. "Sonya, you _died_. For like, 5 minutes. Wanda brought you back. I don't know how she did it, but you were definitely dead."

Sonya flops back. "I don't remember. I was falling, and then I woke up and everyone was really surprised. I thought I was knocked out."

"Well, welcome to the Near Death Experience Club. Pretty much the entire team is a member. As well as several people not on the team."

"Thanks?"

Pietro lets out a weak chuckle. He's still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that she's okay, that she's not dead, that she's here, and alive, and smiling at him.

"What's wrong?" She asks.

He doesn't answer right away, but then leans forward and kisses her, hard. Sonya sucks in a breath, her hand sliding along his jaw. "What?" She pants when he pulls back.

"You're okay." He replies, before kissing her again. Sonya lets out a little hum, and leans against his chest, running her fingers through his hair in the way that drives him crazy.

Sonya pulls back hurriedly when he lets out a sob. "Pietro?"

He rubs his eyes on his sleeve, ducking his head away.. "Sorry. I'm being stupid."

Sonya places her hands on his cheeks, turning him to face her. "Hey, it's okay to cry. Crying is what you do when you've been strong for too long."

"You always know just what to say, don't you?"

She smiles. "I didn't get that psychology degree for nothing." She takes his hand. "We'll get through this together, remember?"

He nods. "Together."

* * *

That little mantra becomes their sort of motto, eventually shortened to a gentle whisper of "Together, remember?" and the reply of "Together."

It helps. Seeming to scare off the demons that haunt their steps. Dead parents, lost friends, things they've done that they regret. Sonya hasn't felt this safe in forever.

Tony informs them that they are sickening. Pietro gives him a withering look. Sonya always jokes that it makes her feel like she's in _The Fault in Our Stars_. "That book was kind of over-rated." She mumbles. "I've read sadder books."

A group of homunculi are released in to the city some days later.

"This is just a distraction." Sonya declares, herding a group of civilians into a building.

"Why do you say that?" Pietro asks, slamming to door shut.

"Astoria Lawrence is smart." Sonya says, brushing her hair roughly out of her face. "She's also logical, which makes her predictable. She doesn't do anything without a reason. There's an ulterior motive to this attack. It's not just a show of strength."

"What would that be?" He asks. "The ulterior motive?"

"I'm clever, Pietro, not clairvoyant." She says. "I don't know."

"Well, the last time you theorized about Shinigami, someone tried to, like, steal you."

"I am completely aware of that fact, Pietro."

"Will I have to fight off another creepy wind lady?"

"You didn't even _do_ anything!"

An explosion knocks the both of them over. "I found the ulterior motive." Sonya says, scrambling to her feet. She takes off in the direction of the smoke, which appears to be coming from the tower. Pietro speeds after her, scooping the tiny healer into his arms. "Whoa!"

"What?" He smirks, "You couldn't keep up with me if you tried!"

Sonya crosses her arms grumpily. "You surprised me! I could've gotten whiplash or something!"

"I thought you were clever! You didn't see that coming?"

"I should've. You always do this."

He laughs, setting her down gently on the pavement. "You like it when I sweep you off your feet."

Sonya mumbles something like 'not _literally_!' and turns her attention on the mess in front of them. A young man is throwing globes of energy at the surrounding buildings. The globes explode when they hit the ground or a wall. The havoc would be immeasurable, if Wanda were not there, matching the man blow for blow.

Sonya turns her attention to the civilians. Half seem to be actually stopping to watch the fight, the rest running around in a panic. She pinches the bridge of her nose and wonders how her species has survived for so long, before getting to the task of protecting them. Steve isn't here, off in a separate part of the city doing hero things, but Sonya is backed up by Pietro, Sam, Rhodey, and Peter. She directs them to take care of the civs, getting them to safety.

" _My goodness, how you've changed!"_

Sonya winces as Vox's voice curls around her mind. "What do you want?"

" _Oh, nothing. I'm just fascinated by you're new ability."_

"What new ability?"

" _You haven't noticed? How you feel more than just their physical pain?"_

"I don't know what you're talking about."

" _Sure you do."_ The voice murmurs. _"Take off your headband. You'll see."_

"You must think I'm an idiot."

"Hey, Sonya?"

She whirls around, nearly toppling over in surprise. Pietro grabs her by the wrist, steadying her. "Are you all right?" His blue eyes are worried. "You were zoning out there."

Sonya blinks at him. "Oh! Yeah… I'm fine." She shakes her head, as if she's clearing her mind. "I'm fine."

Quicksilver slowly lets go of her wrist. "Okay." He's worried about her, so she gives him a little smile.

"Really, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

He nods, and hurries off.

" _You felt it that time, didn't you? You could feel his worry, couldn't you?"_

"That's not anything I haven't experienced before."

" _Really? Then why don't you take off your headband?"_

"Because I'm not that stupid."

Vox's voice suddenly grows, in volume and charisma. _**"TAKE OFF YOUR HEADBAND."**_

Sonya isn't able to resist, and she tears it off her forehead. She falls forward, overcome. Pain is throwing itself at her from every angle, but it's not just that. There's fear, and worry and other negative feelings. Of insufficiency, of cowardice, of anger, of hate…

Pietro's halfway across the city, when he hears Bucky yell into the comms unit. "Sonya!"

He immediately whirls around.

"Sonya! Look out!" Peter this time.

Pietro skids around the corner to see a homunculus bury its clawed hand up to the wrist in the healer's abdomen. Sonya's eyes widen and she gasps, blood trickling out of the corner of her mouth. The speedster sends the beast flying, catching her as she falls.

"Sonya!"

She stares at him, but doesn't see him, her chest heaving, hand pressed to her wound. The gash begins to glow purple, sparking, and as Pietro watches, it stitches itself closed. Sonya shudders and swallows hard.

"What?" She whispers hoarsely, wiping blood off her cheek. "How?" She glances up at Quicksilver.

"You're okay?" He says breathlessly, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Yeah… I don't know how… but… Yeah-!"

Pietro interrupts her with a hug that lifts her up off the ground, and he kisses her fiercely, and Sonya forgets about the battle and the enemy, and the crowd all around them and the fact that she should be dead. She wraps her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, and kisses him back. And for a while, there's nothing but him, and his lips and his arms around her, and it's perfect.

"How interesting."

Sonya and Pietro pull apart with a gasp, the speedster almost dropping her. They whirl to see Astoria Lawrence herself.

"Why hasn't anybody killed her yet?!" Pietro splutters, shoving Sonya behind him, where Bucky wraps his flesh arm around her protectively, and Tony rubs her head.

Astoria laughs. "Wow." She bends down and, to everyone's astonishment, rips the hand of the homunculus who had stabbed Sonya right off. "No one has killed me, Pietro, simply because they're too afraid to try." She whirls in a flash of blonde and grabs Cap's shield out of the air like it's a Frisbee. She raises it and uses it to block Peter's webs, not even blinking when it's ripped out of her hands.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time." She hisses. "The chance to destroy Earth's Mightiest Heroes… All at once. I've been holding back on you, but now I think it's time to stop that." Dozens of people hurry out of the crowds of civilians, discarding sweatshirts and jackets and hats and scarves, flocking to the woman. "This is my army. Where is yours?"

Cap stands up tall, his team taking their places around him, accepting his shield from Peter. "Avengers!"

…

 **A/N: This chapter isn't my best. I've been struck with writer's block, but if you didn't guess, when Wanda brought Sonya back, Wanda's powers kind of screwed with Sonya's, and now she (Sonya) can feel mental and emotional wounds too…**

 **REVIEW PLEASE!**

 **Also, thanks to everyone who's stuck with this story! You guys have really encouraged me, so thanks! The climax is here! Are you guys ready?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen  
Protectors of the Earth**

" _This is my army. Where is yours?"_

" _Avengers!"_

"Assemble!"

Astoria laughs. "You're no match for me! Attack!"

Sonya imagines the following scene looks rather like something in a fantasy movie. She finds herself ducking around the first few blows, scooping her headband off the ground.

"You can't fight." A voice chuckles, "You are Sonya King. You can feel the pain of others, and so you cannot cause it."

Sonya shoots the man a crooked grin, tightening the knot on her headband. "Try me."

* * *

Pietro zips along, sending powered minions flying.

"You move fast." He tries to dodge around the woman in front of him, but she matches his movement. "But, then again, so do I."

"This is going to get old faster than me." Pietro says, making an attempt to double-cross her.

"Oh, I agree. So you'd better give up."

"I don't think so, no." He smirks, cracking his neck. With a spin, he zips off into the crowd.

* * *

The rest of the fight is a blur to Sonya, and most of the time she isn't fully registering what she'd doing, it's just _"Fight, fight. Get them out of the city, don't let them hurt people. Fight!"_

She stumbles and falls finally, after being thrown into a wall. She's starting to doubt herself now. It's barely noticeable, just a little, tiny voice in the back of her head. Sonya clenches her fists and grits her teeth, reminding herself of who she is, that she is a hero.

" _You really are a fascinating individual."_ Vox hisses.

"Just get out of here." Sonya whispers.

" _I was getting bored of you, anyway. Who shall I torment next?"_ The voice trails off, thinking. _"How about your boyfriend?"_

Sonya stiffens. "You touch him, and I will find a way to kill you."

" _Kill me? Sofiya Elodie King, you would dare to take a life?"_ The hissing voice is suddenly audible, and Sonya turns to glare as Vox steps out of the shadows. "My, you really have changed."

"Not to wax poetic, but now, I actually have something worth fighting for."

"Good. That's good."

"Oh, is it?"

"It will be so much more fun to crush you this way."

Sonya narrows her eyes. This isn't boasting, not anymore. "What do you mean?"

"I've been in your head, Sonya. I'll crush you, not by harming you, but by harming _them_."

The healer scowls. "Just try it."

"Oh, I already have." A few meters off, Bucky stiffens, his eyes going blank.

"Ready to comply." He snaps, turning to Vox

A cold, snake-like smile, too wide for her features, twists itself across her face. "And I must say, It was a success." She gestures casually at Sonya. "She is your mission. Kill her."

Bucky nods.

* * *

Sonya can't help the frightened whimper that escapes her lips as the Asset steps towards her. She isn't brave, not anymore. She can't die, but that isn't the problem here. She can't hurt him.

"No." She hisses to herself. "Get up. That's not him, that's not Bucky."

The Asset cocks his gun.

"Bucky! Please!" The healer screams. "Bucky! I know you're in there!"

But he doesn't react. Sonya throws up her shield, stumbling with the force of the bullets slamming in to it. There's no one around to save her, not this time. They're all busy, she has to do this herself. She _needs_ to get him back. She's the hero now, for real this time, and she needs to save James Buchanan Barnes from the monster he was forced to become.

" _You can't do this. You can't fight."_ Vox whispers. _"But it will fun to see you try."_ She vanishes, and Sonya knows she's off to hurt the rest of her team. She scowls, wanting to go after her, but the Asset is still intent on hurting her.

The healer throws her hands forward, sending her force-field slamming in to his chest. The Asset goes flying with surprising force. Sonya doesn't give him a chance to recover, throwing herself at him, tackling him. She _knows_ he could kill her with just his pinkie finger, but that doesn't matter, because all of a sudden, she realizes Vox was right. Sonya _can't_ fight. She _can't_ hurt others. She isn't that kind of person. But there's one thing she _can_ do, something no one else can...

Heal.

Sonya wraps her arms around Bucky's waist and opens her mind to everything the Asset is feeling, letting it pour into her. She doesn't need to hurt. She needs to understand. She clenches her fists in to his shirt just lets herself feel. She feels all of it, all of the pain and loss and emptiness inside the Asset, inside James Buchanan Barnes. Sonya braces herself against waves of pain, the feeling of her arm being torn off and her memories being wrenched out of her head, the utter loneliness of not _knowing_. The guilt of dozens murdered, the haunting memories of the blood in Bucky's past, the faces of those he's killed, of their fear and despair and the sounds of their last pleas, the horror of looking into the faces of both his victims and their loved ones.

All Sonya can see is light, she looks down at herself. She doesn't seem to be physical anymore, just a glowing purple silhouette. She leans forward and gently kisses Bucky on the forehead.

The light around Sonya fades, and suddenly, the Asset is gone. For good this time. Bucky Barnes stares at the girl in front of him.

"How did you? Sonya, I'm so sorry!"

"Hey, it's okay." She smiles at him.

"How'd you do that?"

"I haven't the faintest idea." She jumps to her feet. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go be an Avenger."

Bucky salutes her. "Tell me what you need!"

"Just... Guard my back."

* * *

Vox stiffens slightly, eyes fixed on the fading purple light behind her. Unbelievable. Sonya shouldn't be capable of this kind of power. She huffs, turning, stretching her mind out, searching for someone to hurt. There!

Back at the Tower, Bruce Banner is watching from the safety of the balcony, the Hulk being much too dangerous to bring out in this fight. She knew what the Hulk could do when uncontrolled, she had seen the results of Wanda Maximoff's meddling with the scientist: a city razed to the ground. Perfect.

* * *

The deafening roar rolls out over the city. Vox smiles, but she's the only one who does. Tony Stark blasts his opponent in the face and takes to the air.

"Uh, guys, we got a situation." He says. "Widow? We're gonna need a lullaby." His eyes widen as the green behemoth charges towards the battle. "And fast."

"I'm really not in a position to help!" Nat calls. She is surrounded on all sides, hard-pressed to stay on her feet.

Tony swears violently. "I'm calling in Veronica."

"Hold it!" Sonya snaps. "I might be able to do something."

"I don't know what you mean by that, doc." Tony says, "And I'm really nervous."

The healer smiles. "Don't worry, old man, I've got this."

"Hey! I'm not old!"

"Sonya." Pietro interrupts, sliding to a stop in a doorway to catch his breath. "What are you thinking?"

"If I told you, you wouldn't like it." She has to pull her earpiece away from her head as everyone starts screaming at her, giving Bucky an exasperated look.

"Calm down, guys." He says. "I'll be with her."

"Don't you DARE try to take on the Hulk, Sonya." Nat snaps.

"I'm not..."

"Goo-!"

"...Going to fight the Hulk." She finishes.

"You better not try to do what I think you're trying." Wanda snarls.

"Well, if you think I'm going to try to get Bruce back or maybe make friends with the Hulk... I am very sorry."

Everyone starts yelling again.

"SHUT UP!" Sonya yells. "I HAVE TO DO THIS, OKAY!?"

"She's right." Tony says.

"Stark..." Steve begins, but Ironman ignores him.

"Look, Doc, stay close to Bucky, I'll be watching from up top. If _anything_ , and I mean _anything_ goes wrong, you tell me right away, and I'll bring in Veronica. Understand?"

"Yes."

"I'll keep an eye on her." Bucky reassures everyone.

"Let's go." Sonya says, grabbing someone's abandoned motorcycle.

"You really need to do this?" Pietro asks her as she and Bucky hurry to the Hulk. "Do you want me to come back you up?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry. But I think I'm the only one who can do anything. About the backup, just stay where you are. I'll be fine."

The speedster sighs, looking up at the sky. "I understand... Just... Come back to me in one piece, yes?"

"I will. I promise." She pauses for a moment. "I love you, Pietro."

He smiles. "I love you, too, Sonya."

"Is no one gonna comment on the fact that we all witnessed a public confession of love?" Tony asks, the first one to break the awkward silence.

"Not the time, Stark." Cap says.

"I knew it." Clint stage-whispers in to the mic. "Can I be best man?"

"Oh, shut up, old man." Pietro splutters, careening out of his rest spot.

* * *

Tony hovers above the city, eyes on Bucky and Sonya. They look so tiny, especially Sonya, as they stare down the Hulk.

"I think you'd better stay here." Sonya tells Bucky.

"You sure?"

"Yes. I think you make him uncomfortable." With that, she advances forward. "Hey, big guy." She calls. The Hulk turns. "Hey!" She smiles. "You remember me, right? We met once. Last year. I'm Sonya if you forgot."

He eyes her warily, snarling.

"Oh, come on." Sonya grins. "There's no need for that. As I remember, we got along fantastically. But, anyway, I don't mean to be rude, but we kind of need Banner back."

The Hulk raised an eyebrow. "Puny Banner?"

The healer giggles. "Yeah, it seems stupid, doesn't it? But the truth is, this kind of fight isn't one you should get in to."

He looks questioning.

"The reason is, you're a lot bigger than all of us, see, and we don't want anyone getting stepped on. Also, there are a lot of civilians around, and we don't want an accident. Now, I'm not saying you'll hurt anyone on purpose, but there's a nasty lady around who likes to get in your head. If she got inside yours, there's no telling what will happen. I know you don't want to hurt anyone, but if something happens, I don't know if we could stop you. Tony..." She points up at the hovering man. "...really doesn't want to have to get the Hulkbuster out."

The Hulk's face twists up in a snarl, and he lets out a roar, charging her.

"SONYA!" Bucky and Tony yell in unison. She's bowled sideways by a streak of blue, tumbling to the ground.

"Pietro?!" She squeaks as the speedster rolls off her.

"What, you didn't see that coming?" He smirks, before calling to the others. "I think we're good here with Hulk."

"Got it." Steve says. "Everyone else, keep an eye out for Astoria."

Pietro scoops up Sonya again, hurrying her out of the way of the Hulk. He sets her down across the square, before turning and throwing himself at the beast's feet. The Hulk stumbles, roaring.

"I'll hold him off."

"I'm calling in Veronica." Tony says. "Bucky, Sonya, try not to get stepped on."

Pietro whirls by Sonya, giving her a quick smirk. "I will be fine. Hey, big guy! On your left!" He speeds away again. The Hulk is soon stumbling around, streaks of blue zipping around his ankles. Quicksilver is struck by mere chance, one of the Hulk's massive fists somehow hitting the enhanced in the ribs.

Pietro goes flying, hitting the side of a building with a sickening thud. Sonya screams, but he's already struggling to his feet, one arm hanging limply at his side. "Nice shot." He grits out. "I'm impressed." He throws himself bodily into the Big Guy's ankles. "Bet I can do you one better."

"The Hulk shouldn't be this fast." Bucky blurts.

"Vox." Sonya whispers. Pietro skids to a stop a couple of feet away from her.

"I am still faster." He smirks. "You know that." He stumbles, suddenly falling to his knees, spitting out blood. The healer jumps forward, throwing herself between him and the Hulk. The big guys freezes, confused.

"Sonya!" Quicksilver starts. She ignores him.

"Hey, big guy." She says, holding out her hand. "The sun's getting real low."

"Sonya..." Bucky whispers. "I don't... you're not Natasha."

The healer ignores him, too. "It's time to rest. The fight's all over. You're safe." She's stopped using Nat's words, saying her own. "You don't have to protect him. I need you to let Bruce come back." She gently touches his palm. "Everything's quieted down. Come on, it's okay."

The Hulk snarls, stumbling, shifting back into Bruce. The scientist shudders, giving Sonya a thankful look, before he passes out.

She smiles back, before her eyes roll back in her head and she slumps back against Bucky.

* * *

She pops back awake all of a sudden, rubbing her eyes. "I need something to eat." She mumbles as her stomach rumbles. Bucky pulls a Cliff Bar out of his pocket and hands it to her.

"Pietro insisted I give you this. Did a personal run back to the tower."

The two of them are stashed in a doorway, sounds of fighting off to the left, not far off, sometimes flashes of energy light up their hiding spot. Sonya tears into the bar. "He's okay? Where is he?"

"He said to tell you he's fine. He went back to fight."

"Good. And Bruce?"

"Recovering. Cap and Ironman and he are flirting with the idea of actually bringing the Hulk in... Like, in a controlled way."

"Things are going that bad?"

"We aren't much without you. Luckily, you were only out for about five minutes."

Sonya rubs her forehead. "You wouldn't happen to have another Cliff bar?"

"That is unnecessary!" Pietro pops around the corner, carrying two bottles. His injured arm is in a sling. "I went back to the tower. Protein shake?" He grins, ridiculously pleased with himself. Bucky laughs and mutters something in Russian, before turning.

"You two eat up. I'll head back out, be careful."

They nod, mumbling agreements around mouthfuls of shake.

"What's in this?"

"I have no clue. Bruce just said they help him after he Hulks out and whipped me up some when I explained the situation." Pietro swirls his straw around, slurping up the dregs. "It is surprisingly tasty for such a nasty color."

Sonya laughs gently as she swallows her last few mouthfuls, setting her cup aside and healing his arm. "I can't believe they let you run around with a broken arm."

"Bruce set it. It didn't hurt."

"Yes, it did." She says. "I've broken my femur. Getting a bone set hurts like shit."

The speedster grins, putting her arm around Sonya's shoulders. "Yes, fine. It did 'hurt like shit'." She rests her head against his shoulder.

"I'm glad you're okay."

They sit like that for a moment, before Sonya jumps up. "Enough sitting around. Time to get back to work."

Jumping back into the fight is shocking, to say the least. A tidal wave of sound and emotion crash over Sonya, and she's glad Pietro is carrying her at the time, so she can tense against his chest. He seems to understand her reaction and gives her a hug.

They skid to a stop next to Wanda, the Scarlet Witch giving them a fierce grin. "Sonya, stop stealing my twin-taxi!" She teases.

The healer frowns. "Didn't you get an upgrade? Flies, doesn't he?"

Wanda laughs.

"I have a mission." Sonya says. "I need to find someone."

"That's specific." Wanda replies.

"She's called Vox. Blonde hair, dark eyes, messes with people's heads? Keep an eye out."

"Got it."

"Okay, you're exhausted."

"I am fine."

Sonya rolls her eyes. "And I'm the king of England. Look, you need to take a breather."

Wanda shakes her head vehemently. "No. People need me."

"And I need you to take a break. You're no help this tired, Vision and I can handle this sector, alright?"

"Okay."

"Good. Pietro! Get your sister out of here!"

Sonya busies herself with switching out her friends, kicking Tony out for Rhodey and Sam, Steve for Bucky, and pulling Nat and Clint out for awhile, putting Spidey and Antman in their place. After a moment's thought, she switches Thor for the Hulk.

"Did we not just get Banner back?" the god complains. "This seems like a strange plan."

"I changed my mind, besides, if we get Vox, this fight is over."

* * *

Sonya realizes Pietro's missing all of a sudden. She freezes. "Has anybody seen Quicksilver?" She asks. Her question is met by noises of denial from everyone. "Okay... I'm going to go look." She ducks out of the fight, hurrying down an empty street. She pauses a good distance from the fight, letting out a mental yell. _"VOX!"_

She's answered suspiciously quickly. _"Sonya. You called?"_

" _Where's Pietro?"_

" _What?"_

" _I said, WHERE IS HE?!"_

" _Are you accusing me because your boyfriend is missing?"_

" _I don't have the patience to deal with this. WHERE IS HE?!"_

" _Behind you."_

Sonya whirls around just as Pietro zips around the corner. He leans forward, hands on his knees, panting a little. "Hey. You were looking for me, yes?"

"You're okay? How's your arm?"

He smirks, flexing the limb in question. "You worry too much. I am fine."

"That's good. I need your help."

"With finding this Vox lady?"

"Yeah."

"Did you even need to ask?" He ruffles her hair a little. "Of course."

"Oh, this is just getting more and more interesting." Vox mumbles. Pietro and Sonya whirl around. She's standing in a doorway, grinning. "Which of you will be the most fun to control?" She points at them, "Eenie... meanie...miney..."

Quicksilver throws himself forward, suddenly ricocheting off a wall of red energy. He tumbles back. A figure steps out from behind Vox, hands glowing scarlet.

"...Moe."

"Wanda?"

* * *

 **A/N: Yay! Another chapter done! The end is coming very soon, so hold on! Review please! Let me know what you think! Also! Finally! Sonyetro has confessed their love!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen  
Aftermath**

" _Oh, this is just getting more and more interesting." Vox mumbles. Pietro and Sonya whirl around. She's standing in a doorway, grinning. "Which of you will be the most fun to control?" She points at them, "Eenie... meanie...miney..."_

 _Quicksilver throws himself forward, suddenly ricocheting off a wall of red energy. He tumbles back. A figure steps out from behind Vox, hands glowing scarlet._

" _...Moe."_

" _Wanda?"_

* * *

The Scarlet Witch's eyes are blank, face twisted in a vicious scowl. Her hands flash out and tendrils of red energy fly towards Pietro. He dives out of the way, Sonya throwing up a shield around them.

"Scared?" Vox smirks. "I don't know why I didn't think of Wanda in the first place. She's obviously the most powerful of all of you... but she has a surprisingly vulnerable mind. I guess that's what comes when you think of yourself as unstoppable."

"Get out of her head!" Pietro yells, fists clenched.

"Now, why would I do that? She's the best weapon I've ever encountered."

"My _sister_ is not a _weapon_!"

"Isn't that what you two were created to be? Weapons?" Vox turns her gaze on Sonya. "Freaks? Nothing more that glorified minions."

Quicksilver snarls, bursting out of Sonya's shield. "Pietro! No!" She yells, but he ignores her, slamming into Vox. She hisses, waving her hand, and Wanda captures him in a cocoon of energy.

"You really thought I'd go down that easily?"

He kicks his feet. "Let _go_ of me, Wanda!" He sounds angry, but his eyes are wide.

"Frightened?" Vox hisses. "You've seen what your sister can do, haven't you? She's always been much more powerful than you, hasn't she? She could kill you in the blink of an eye."

"Let them go." Sonya says, her voice shaky. "You don't have to hurt them. I'm the one you want, and honestly, I don't know why, but just leave them be."

"Sonya, don't!" Pietro snaps.

"How noble. And how delusional. I don't want to settle with destroying you, Sonya, I intend to destroy everyone you've ever cared about. Just for the _fun_ of it."

"That's psychotic. You've gotta have a motive. People don't work like that."

"Oh, well, Astoria's got a motive... and she's in charge... I guess taking over the world sounds fine." She shrugs. "Do you want to know what Wanda's deepest fear is?"

"Just leave them _alone_!"

Vox continues on, unfazed. "It's losing the people she cares about. Especially her brother. Imagine how it will break her when she finds out she's the one who killed him. Tragic, isn't it?"

Suddenly, Pietro goes crashing to the ground, enveloped in a purple bubble. "I can't let that happen." Sonya snarls.

"Do you think you can defeat Wanda? You've never seen her give it her all. You should be running right now."

"This monologueing is starting to piss me off." Pietro says as Vox continues ranting about her evil plans, "I couldn't care less about what her plan is, but I'm getting my sister back."

"Don't you dare go rushing in without a plan." Sonya hisses, grabbing his arm. "You'll get yourself killed."

"I will not. Wanda would not hurt me."

"Maybe not, but Vox will."

"She must catch me first. Which she will not, because I am too fast. Trust me, this plan will work."

" _What_ plan?!"

"The one where I get my little sister back, and you stay back here, safe, so I do not loose you, too."

"Your plan is terrible."

"IT IS THE ONLY ONE WE HAVE!"

"A lover's spat?" Vox chuckles.

Pietro whirls. "You shut up." He turns back to Sonya. "This will work, I am sure of it."

"If you can distract Wanda, then I'm going after Vox."

"No."

"Yes."

* * *

The plan works... at first. Pietro tackles Wanda, and Sonya even manages to punch Vox in the nose. But the brunette has no interest in holding back. She knocks the healer flying, Sonya slams against a building, pain exploding in her middle. Sonya gasps in shock, her ears buzzing, vision going black as purple energy sparks around her. She struggles up right, but Vox stabs her in the stomach. Sonya screams, rolling out of the way.

"If I just keep giving you fatal injuries, how long will I be until you stop healing yourself?" Vox asks, kicking her in the stomach and pulling a gun out of seemingly nowhere. "Is that even possible?"

The healer scrambles to her feet, wounds still sparking. She isn't able to throw up a shield. She stumbles, tripping on a loose brick, as Vox fires the weapon. Pietro whirls around and throws himself at Sonya. He can feel his sister's powers snatching at him, slowing him down. He knows there isn't time to get Sonya out of the way. _"Hey, maybe I'll survive this one, too."_ He thinks, as he tackles her, three rounds burying themselves in his back. _"I hope that doesn't hurt her too badly."_

Sonya screams at his pain and he apologizes silently. "PIETRO!"

"What? You didn't see that coming?" He smirks, going limp against her.

"NO! YOU IDIOT!" She yells, stiffening as she feels him weaken. "No. NO." Sonya looses focus on Vox, scrambling out from under Pietro's limp body, and hands glowing. "No, no, no! Don't you dare die on me, don't you dare!"

To her right, Wanda screams, red energy exploding around her. She whirls on Vox, attacking with everything she has. But Sonya doesn't register this, she's too focused on Pietro. Her body is trying to heal itself, but she doesn't let that happen, pushing all of her powers in to bringing him back. She's filled with pain, unsure if it's her own or someone else's. Tears are burning in her eyes, she sobs as they land on his face, glowing. Pietro gasps, stiffening, as they sink into his skin, healing him. Sonya whimpers with relief, falling against his chest as everything goes dark.

* * *

Sonya blinks her eyes open slowly, groaning softly at the pain in her head. She feels like she's been run over by a truck. Full of bricks. Repeatedly. "You would think cell regeneration would do something about soreness." She mumbles to no one. She's lying in a bed in SHIELD's medical center, a place she's been often enough to recognize it by the ceiling and the smell of iodine.

"You're awake." Doctor Helen Cho enters the room, giving Sonya a quick smile. "That's good."

The healer smiles back, making a move to sit up. She's wearing plain cotton pajamas. Flopping back against her pillows, she rubs her forehead. "My head is killing me. How long was I out?"

"48 hours." Doctor Cho replies, handing Sonya a glass of water and two Advil. "Here."

"Thanks." Sonya mumbles. "Wait. 48 hours?! Like, _two days_?!"

"Yes."

"Oh, wow. That-that's a long time."

"Your friends were very worried." The doctor says, just as the door flies open and Pietro zips in with a streak of blue, skidding to a stop next to Sonya's bed.

She gives him a once over. He looks healthy, if not exhausted. When she's satisfied with his well-being, she throws her glass of water at his head. He catches it, of course, wincing a little as she starts screaming at him. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! CAN'T YOU _EVER_ THINK?! I TOLD YOU NOT TO DASH IN WITHOUT A PLAN!"

He frowns. "I had a plan."

"WELL, IT OBVIOUSLY WASN'T A VERY GOOD ONE!" She bites her lip. "What if I hadn't been able to bring you back? Do you really want Wanda to lose you again?!"

Doctor Cho sneaks out the door. She has no desire to get involved in this.

Pietro shrugs his shoulders up to his ears and looks away. "I-I'm sorry. I was scared. I was not thinking clearly. I do not like to see you and Wanda in danger."

Sonya sighs, holding her arms out. "C'mere."

He complies, hugging her tightly. "If you had stayed back like I had told you, we would not be in this situation."

"Oh, shut up." She mumbles. "You're incorrigible."

"Thank you."

"That's not a good thing."

Pietro laughs. "I know." He pulls back from her hug, face serious. "Let's plan more carefully in the future, yes?"

"Yeah. Let's."

Pietro smiles at her. "Now that we have that out of the way..." With that, he leans forward and kisses her. Sonya hums in agreement and wraps her arms around his neck.

Of course, the rest of the team has to burst in just then and ruin it. Tony freezes in the doorway, and everyone trips over him. "I knew it." He stage whispers, from underneath two super-soldiers and an angry hawk. "Steve, you owe me ten bucks."

"Damn."

"Language." Nat says, stepping over them. Wanda dashes around her and tackles her brother and Sonya with a hug.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" She sobs. Pietro rolls his eyes.

"We already went over this, Wanda. No one blames you."

"Yeah." Sonya agrees. She glares a little at him over Wanda's head. "Although, I wouldn't have said it quite so harshly."

Wanda sniffles a little. "You are not angry?"

The healer raises an eyebrow. "Why would I be?"

"Because I hurt you!"

"If you abandoned someone every time they made a mistake, it would be really lonely." Sonya smiles. "Besides, I know what it's like to to have Vox in your head."

* * *

"What happened after I blacked out?" Sonya asks. Wanda frowns, thinking back...

 _Wanda screams as Pietro falls, Vox's grip on her mind shattering like glass. Energy explodes around her, shaking the air like a pulse. The Witch can feel everything, everyone. Pietro, a flash of silver and adrenaline, the life-force leaking out of his body, held in check by the warm but frantic energy that is Sonya, and the broiling, uncontrollable force that is Vox. Wanda has one goal: Destroy Vox. Her powers swirl through the air, clamping, grabbing, suffocating, stamping the life out of her enemy like one would stamp the life out of a fire. Vox stutters, shivering, sinking, failing. Winking out like a smothered flame._

 _Wanda doesn't stop there, though. Her power explodes outward, slamming into the minds of her enemies, brushing around her friends. She can feel everything. The jarring in Cap's arm when he catches the shield, the rage coursing through the Hulk, the snap of a bowstring against her arm, the recoil of a gun, the tingle of electricity... Everything..._

 _Astoria is distracted and takes a blow to the head. Her army falters as soon as she hits the ground, some scattering, some collapsing..._

* * *

"We are still working on clean-up." Wanda continues. "Most of the others are going out on missions, trying to bring in the rest of the army. Vox is dead, Astoria imprisoned in the Raft."

"So Shinigami is gone?" Sonya asks hopefully.

"Yes."

"And the army? How do you identify the soldiers?"

"Tony hacked Shinigami's systems. We have full bios and identification of everyone." Steve assures her, strolling in just then. "Thanks to that, we can track them all down."

"What'll happen to them? They can't all've been wanting what Astoria did, right?" The healer inquires. Cap shrugs.

"Right now, we aren't sure. Some appeared to be under Vox's control, some were just people who wanted something to believe in, and some actually were evil. Our main priority is to find out who is who. SHIELD is interviewing them, trying to find out who is guilty. Those that are will most likely be sent to the Raft."

"I see." Sonya mutters. "What about the innocent ones? The ones being controlled?"

"A whole lot of therapy." He says blithely.

"A lot of them are pretty messed up." Wanda adds. The healer nods.

"I can imagine."

"We're hoping that most of them will be able to go back to living mostly normal lives after this. We're working on getting contact with the X-Men to see if they can lend a hand." Steve continues. "There isn't anything to worry about."

Sonya chuckles. "I wasn't worried. I trust you guys."

* * *

"I've been thinking." Tony says.

Sonya glances up from her book. "Always a perilous activity."

The billionaire bites his lip and looks over her head. "There's really no reason for you to stay here anymore. You could leave."

The healer stares at him. Tony slaps himself. "Augh! No! Ignore that, dammit! It came out wrong! What I mean is, you shouldn't stay here anym-! Shit! No! That was EVEN WORSE! Arrggh!" He covers his face with both hands and slides down in his chair. "That's not what I'm trying to say! Dammit! I don't know what I'm trying to say!"

"Are you alright?"

"NO!" Iron Man takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. "No. I'm fine. I'm great. It's just that... with Astoria and Vox and the rest of Shinigami gone... I guess you could go back to relative anonymity? Like, I'll get you a new apartment and stuff and get you all moved in if you want. And I won't be mad if you wanna leave. I get it. Who wants to live with us anyway? Two old men, some assassins, two birds... not really great roommates." He jumps up and dashes out of the room, leaving Sonya staring after him. "Just think about it."

* * *

She does think about it. Maybe too much. She still isn't sure what Tony was trying to say (blame the ASD) and she's also exhausted (blame the efforts to wrap-up the Shinigami affair). The team has moved from the Tower and taken up residence in the Avenger's Facility with the rest of SHIELD. Sonya's sleep-deprived brain is fluttering all over the place. The most she can glean is that leaving the Avenger's was an option that Tony Stark just gave her.

" _But... Why? Why say that all of a sudden?"_ Sonya muses. " _Maybe because all of the people trying to kill me and/or steal my brain are finally behind bars? Maybe he never actually liked me? Maybe he can finally throw me out in (somewhat) good conscience?_

"Nah." She mumbles. "That's ridiculous."

"What is ridiculous?" Wanda asks. Sonya nearly jumps out of her skin.

"Holy shit!" She whirls, glaring at the other girl, panting a little. "What the heck, Wanda?!"

Scarlet Witch giggles. "Sorry. I overheard you talking to yourself. What was that about?"

Sonya shrugs and waves her hand dismissively. "Nothing... It's just... Nothing."

"Are you sure?"

The healer shuffles her feet and looks up at the ceiling. "While I was still in the infirmary, Tony said I could leave the Avengers..." Wanda's jaw drops. She's too stunned to say anything, but Sonya is still talking. "I'm not sure what he meant though. Like, is he kicking me out? Why all of the sudden? I don't know! And I don't like that. Do you think he's trying to get rid of me? Is this happening now because Shinigami is gone and I can go back to my old life without being targeted by Astoria or Vox?"

"I...I don't think that is what he meant." Wanda finally says.

"THEN, WHAT DID HE MEAN?!" The healer exclaims, gesticulating wildly.

"I think what he meant was that he noticed how you miss your old life. He was telling you that he was willing to help you regain that life, if you wanted it."

Sonya blinks. "O-oh. Tha-that makes more sense. That makes a lot more sense." She sighs. "Im glad he doesn't hate me."

"Are you going to?" Wanda asks timidly. The other girl has become an important part of her life and seeing her leave would be... horrible.

Sonya shrugs, not really registering the worry on the Witch's face, too lost in her own thoughts. "I don't know." She hurries off, leaving Wanda staring after her.

The Witch does what she always does in times of crisis: She goes to Pietro.

* * *

A couple days later finds Sonya better rested and worrying over a field report. She's stowed away in her room with a supply of snacks and a stack of files that need processing, her favorite mixtape blaring over the speakers. Since taking a break from the field, she has found herself slipping in to a more administrative position. She doesn't dislike the change, but kind of misses working with her friends. Just then, a blue blur bursts in the room, shattering the peace.

"Hey." Pietro says, skidding to a stop next to Sonya. "I finally found you."

"Were you looking for me?" She glances up from her laptop, popping an animal cracker in her mouth. The screen displays a half-finished mission report.

"Yeah. You did not tell me you had returned. I only found out because Sam stole some of my dinner." He glares off into the distance, probably mentally cursing the other man.

"Tragic." Sonya says. "Did you come in here for snacks, or was there another reason?"

"Nope." He grins cheekily and plops down on the floor next to her, digging a hand into the tub of animal crackers. "Yum. Theses are the frosted kind." He holds up a pink-frosted blob. "Obviously, this is the majestic lion, king of the jungle, a beast at the top of the food chain." He bites what is probably the head off. "But the lion is not match for me."

Sonya chuckles, saving her work and turning up the music. Pietro grins as Twenty-One Pilot's Lane Boy comes on. "This is the best song on the album." He declares.

"No way! Not Today is much better!"

"No!" Pietro throws a cracker at her. Sonya gasps in indignation as it tangles in her hair. She retaliates by tossing a marshmallow at his face. He dodges it and lunges forward, tackling her. They collapse into laughter as Pietro bowls Sonya over.

The speedster sobers first, which is unusual, rolling off her and shoving a marshmallow in his mouth. Sonya frowns, propping herself up on her elbows and stares at his back

"Are you okay?" She asks.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He replies.

"You're upset about something." The healer tells him, crawling over and plopping down next to him. "What's wrong?"

Pietro shrugs, fidgeting a little. "I just want to know. Wanda said you told her about Tony's offer... Will you take it? Are you going to leave?" He bites his lip, glancing at her nervously.

Sonya gawks at him. "Of _course_ not! Why would you think that?!"

"I DON'T KNOW?!" He flails wildly, flopping on to his back. "I AM VERY CONFUSED!" She grins at him, then dissolves into laughter once again. "STOP LAUGHING!" He splutters. "THIS IS A REAL ISSUE!"

The healer clamps her hands over her mouth. "I'm sor – hehe – sorry! It's just - ! I can't believe you were worried! I don't have anything left to go back to!" She straightens, face serious. "You guys are my life now. I'm not going anywhere."

"You promise?"

Sonya pulls Pietro into a hug. "I promise. Together, remember?"

He sighs with relief. "Together."

THE END

 **A/N: So! That's that! Fear not! I'm not done with Sonya! Book 2 will happen, so keep an eye out for that and also oneshots featuring her! Thanks for all of your support! Especially the following: Alibird1, PondLake, lifeasjesus, sweet sunset rain, TheLightBehindHerEyes and multiple guest for your kind reviews!**


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